New Year's Day at Paxton Pits

The New Year's Day Birdwatch at Paxton recorded 43 species which is about our usual for January. The Coots are definitely setting up their territories and so glad I was under the flight path of the cormorant! I also recorded any flowers in bloom - total of seven species. Very poor light in the afternoon when these were taken

Birds on Lady Fen Welney

Up till very recently, it would have been impossible to see three species of Egret, Little White, Greater White and Cattle Egrets, all together in England but here they are feeding together on Lady Fen Welney sharing the habitat with Grey Heron, Curlew and Pied Wagtail. It seems at Welney the Magpies have taken over from Jackdaws delousing the deer.

Oldbury Birds

A few images taken on a dull evening walk up to the masts behind Oldbury Travelodge yesterday. Magpies are very wary birds so difficult to get close shots.

St Albans Nest Building Underway

I called in at the park in St Albans on my way back from talking in Tring the night before. Great to talk to a 'live' audience. The sun had just come above the trees giving beautiful but harsh light on the incoming Grey Heron as it went back and forth bringing twigs to the nest site. Only this one Heron was evident - hopefully there are others. The clouds then came up so the light was poor for the Magpie collecting nest material and the Coot guarding its nest site from a passing Moorhen.

Stanwick Lakes Away from the Water

Stanwick Lakes offered some excellent opportunities for close encounters with the wildlife, perhaps because the park is very popular with walkers, cyclists and families and the birds etc have become accustomed to people. Blackbirds, Magpies and Muntjac foraged happily in good range and even the Buzzard was not as wary as usual.