Perfect Trio of Subjects at Paxton

 I spent about an hour yesterday afternoon photographing life on South Heronry Lakes and was well entertained by a close Heron, an even closer Egret and a family of Great Created Grebes,. The heron  spent a while looking into the water and eventually struck out and caught a fish. The tongue is obviously important with its barb in forcing the fish down the throat and need a good clean afterwards. The Egret was too close to frame well but a great pleasure to observe. The GCG hatched a few days ago and the two chicks are happily riding around on the adult's back, hopping off occasionally into the water and then returning to safety. So hope that they do not fall victim (as the last brood) to the Cormorants when they are in the water. Distant shots so no great quality.

Paxton Pits Juveniles

Very much a nature diary entry as the heat haze yesterday afternoon made sharp distant images very difficult but what a wonderful 3 hours spent doing nothing but watching this year's youngsters  starting to learn their skills and showing visitors the delights of the reserve. I didn't see either of the two Kingfishers catch anything but they were very busy practising their dives while the Heron chicks were still squabbling and showing off inappropriately as teenagers do.  I only recorded six Cygnets but they were moving around a lot. The remaining Grebe chick was staying close to one parent while the other went off hunting and came back with a crayfish I think. The adult Heron was just trying to find something to feed those youngsters on or get them to leave the nest and do their own hunting. The Dunnock wins on the subtlety of its plumage.

Heron Update

A few images of one of  Paxton's Heron families  - definitely three very boisterous teenagers now  competing to get food from the parent and beginning to trial jumps and flaps prior to their first flight. It was very contrasty light in the morning yesterday.

Coot, Grebe and Herons at Paxton

Generally things are going well for our Heron brood with all three chicks now looking ready to fledge while the Great Crested Grebes have 2 or their 3 chicks still surviving the inevitable Cormorant and Otter attacks. The Coots seem to have been less successful - no longer sitting on the near nest and obviously renewing the courtship and mating behaviour.

Final Summer Migrants Arrive at Paxton

While the Heron chicks are getting ready for fledging with short exploratory leaps, the final summer migrants have arrived with the sky full of Hobbies and Sand Martins while the Cuckoo was both seen and heard. More images of the Great Crested Grebe family to come  - fingers crossed the young survive the Cormorant attacks etc.