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

Toadstools from Sandy Bedfordshire

With all the recent rain and relatively mild temperatures, the fungi are abundant everywhere including RSPB Sandy. We had a very enjoyable day there yesterday with only one shower when we needed to shelter. Here some of the Toadstools; smaller fungi and lichens to follow!

RSPB Sandy Bugs, Fungi and Hobby

Yesterday was the RPS Nature Group outing to RSPB HQ at Sandy. It was postponed from previous week and the weather was slightly improved as largely dry but still windy and cool. However, we did manage to find a good selection of plant bugs, crickets, butterflies and  dragonflies.  Mike and I took an early morning walk round and spotted a Hobby and quite a few unseasonably early fungi.

Lakenheath - Great Crested Grebe Family

What a delight on our RPS/CCC Nature Group outing to watch a Great Crested Grebe pair with their three exotically striped youngsters at close range for an hour. At first, we thought there were only two young but a third ones emerged from the adult's feathers when it decided to have a vigorous shake.

Birds at Rye Meads RSPB Reserve

Some images from a RPS Nature Group outing to Rye Meads on a very cold frosty day with very limited light.  As usual, the coots were bust squabbling while the Robins followed us around hoping for some disturbed insect life under our feet.