Parkland birds

Hello again forumates,   sorry I've been absent for a while but it's been a challenging and busy few months for us so decided to take a longer than planned break from the forum.    It will take me a while to catch up on what's been happening and I'll post a few pics up although to be honest I haven't been anywhere other than our immediate parkland area where we are living but having said that we have a good range of birds here on parkland in Cheshire.      Still haven't had my eyes sorted out yet either due to lockdown and other things going on and keeping us otherwise occupied so pics are a bit hit and miss at the moment,  missing more birds than I manage to capture on camera !      Almost forgotten how to use a camera as often I would take my walks with Mike without any gear except for binoculars  - but always carrying a tub of mealworms !      Hope you've all been keeping well and I'll try bob in on the forum when I get chance;    just didn't want you thinking I'd fallen into a large sink hole and disappeared    LOL     

A few pics from the last few months to prove I haven't sold the camera ;)

Trying to look innocent but responsible for several missing Mallard ducklings :(       Nature red in tooth and claw but he/she also has to feed their own growing chicks

and here's one nest of dinosaur chicks ...........      we have a heronry on part of the parkland (island on the mere)   

they just look like trouble don't they ?    LOL

We also have the largest breeding area in North West for Mandarin ducks;    although notoriously shy it takes a lot of patience and camouflage to try capture these birds on camera but today I saw the single mandarin duckling again .......

There are lots of bird boxes around the woodland including stonecrete ones that one pair of Nuthatches have taken a liking to  .........

seem to be finding plenty of insects

Lots of Treecreepers around too ............

Blackcaps are also around in numbers ....    here's the male

and here's the female thankfully finding plenty of bugs, insects for her nestlings

Chiffchaffs are in full voice ...... it was singing its name too

Chiffchaff again .....

This one had a different  "hweet" sound so thinking if may be a Willow Warbler (grateful thanks to Rob for Chiffchaff ID)  

same bird showing quite long wing length ?   "Hweet"    !!    Chiffchaff it is !

Common Buzzards are always on the parkland - this one perched opposite our apartment .....

This one also seen from our balcony .....

Pair of Great Crested Grebes are on the large mere ......  

and the tons of robins around ........ this little robin I try visit most days as it is feeding young so I leave live mealroms on the post for the adults to take to their chicks

Todays visit to the same pair of robins

and a handsome male chaffinch singing away to finish this post ......

Rather a lot of photos - sorry !