Very Wet Thursday

 Yesterday was the monthly walk at Paxton Pits and, unsurprisingly, only a small group ventured round the reserve. We did manage to record 37 bird species including Garden warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Terns hopefully nesting on the rafts,  adult Cormorant ?teaching young about fishing and Great Crested Grebe pair. Back in the garden in the afternoon, many insects were sheltering on leaves and flowers while the spiders continued to monitor their webs.

St Aidens RSPB Reserve

 St Aidan's RSPB Reserve has been transformed from an old, open cast mine to a reserve with a rich variety of habitats including reedbeds, wetlands, meadows and woodland. It has a breeding population of Black-necked Grebe, which I was keen to see as I hadn't seen summer plumage birds before. There were lots of Bittern booming and several took to the air during our visit. Otherwise the numbers of singing Warblers - Sedge, Reed and Willow were very impressive along with Reed Buntings and all the usual water birds

Far Ings Reserve Humberside - Bittern and Friends

It is not often you go to a reserve hoping to see a target species but, yesterday, we were lucky and within a short while of arriving at Far Ings everyone in the Nature Group party had photographed a Bittern as it walked across the reed bed. Otherwise the reserve was fairly quiet but there was enough around to keep my camera happy. 

Early Morning Paxton Pits

One of those special moments when you arrive on a scene just as the lighting conditions are perfect - a mist had settled over one of the lakes at Paxton as the sun rose high enough to illuminate the scene and what better subject than a Great Crested Grebe in full display plumage. The Tufted Ducks played their part while flying Mallard and Cormorant added to the scene.

Summer Leys Stonechats, Little Grebes etc

A day of difficult light for photography but lots of birds and action to enjoy with RPS Nature Group friends at Summer Leys reserve. The weather was very variable with rain, bright sunny intervals and occasional thick cloud giving a real challenge for photography. A pair of Stonechats and athreesome of Little Grebes kept us entertained from one of the hides with the Stonechats coming close at times and the Little Grebes generally hiding in the reeds but with one clear view. I photographed a flock of Lapwing and amongst them birds that  appear to be Short-eared Owls (there is a site fairly close and birds were being driven off by the rising flood waters) now identified as Golden Plovers. Very high ISOs so not great quality for images