My first visit to Minsmere of 2017 - with Limpy and friends!

I always enjoy a visit to Minsmere but yesterday's visit was particularly nice as we not only got the weather - we got the nice company as well.  The excellent Gardenbirder and her husband were spending their Christmas and New year break in my part of the world so we took advantage of this to have a good look at what was about.  After tea in the caff we headed to the Island Mere Hide, leaving our cars in the disabled layby as both Gardenbirder and Limpy found this much easier.  Opposite this is the Scott's Hall cottage - the feeder there had a single bird on it:

I don't think this robin was feeling at its photographic best.

Mr Blackbird was much less shy!

Plenty of birds were enjoying a good preen and bathe.

This bittern was less than cooperative!

It got worse.  Oh, well, at least we saw one.

This goosander cut an elegant silhouette.  Sadly, this was as close as it got to me.

I can never resist swans.

I loved the expression on its face - the usual haughty look is absent.

After a good, long time in the hide we headed back to the Visitor Centre for some lunch and a much needed warm up.  Afterwards, we headed to the Wildlife Lookout, where these beautiful little birds were happily flaunting themselves:

Just much too far away for my liking!

Thank goodness for mallards.  Much more obliging.

A shoveler enjoying a doze in the winter sunshine.

This mallard had just had a good bath and was showing off for us.  Lovely!

A very golden gadwall.

This snipe looked almost panic-stricken at being so spectacularly visible!  It soon scarpered.

A single Canada goose lookling lovely in the light.

Incoming!  One of many greylag geese - I got most of them in silhouette but I actually managed to get a bit of detail on this one.

We then headed back to the Visitor Centre for a final pot of tea and some cake.  I wasn't quite done taking photos, though:

Awwww.  They are so photogenic.

Inevitably I'm finishing off with one of Minsmere's stunning corvids.

A good day was had by all and we look forward to catching up with Mr and Mrs Gardenbirder again later this year.