St Albans Herons

I have visited St Albans most years from 2012 to watch the Herons and friends busy courting, mating and building nests around the second week in March. After a very sparse year in 2023, this year is encouraging as we located 5 nests and maybe a couple of unpaired youngsters. The early light with low sunshine was ideal but it clouded over later so a different approach in processing at the end. My favourite is the second image - sheer 'Joie de Vivre' which is how they made me feel. The grumpy one giving the evil eye to the Coot is probably more representative of their behaviour.

Paxton Pits

The mist cleared at Paxton on Saturday to give some wonderful reflections with the absence of wind. Cormorants, Herons, Coot and Moorhens were all getting on with building nests and setting up territories etc

 

Parkgate 12th February

Parkgate on Monday presented so many spectacles - the view of masses of birds against the industrial scenes on the other side of the estuary and the speed with which the water rushed in to inundate the marshes at high tide. There were lots of White Egrets catching the voles, flocks of Pipits and Skylark, hovering Kestrels, Herons etc.

Winter Visitors and Early Nest Building at Paxton Pits

Great to see winter visitors, Goosander and Golden Eye pairs, plus resident species Great Crested Grebe, Egyptian Goose, Kingfisher, Gadwell, Shoveller, Wigeon,Kestrel, Black-headed Gull, Grey Heron and Cormorant - the latter busy building the nests.

Paxton Winter Water Birds

Thursday morning was dull with showers but it brightened in the afternoon so I took my camera out to see what wildfowl are around - pleased to see Goldeneye, Shoveller and Little Grebe. It was very windy so the water was choppy.