Wow and wow again! What an amazing end to what has been an amazing year at the moment with yesterday a flock of nine spectacular cranes flying over the reserve and then over the reserve office allowing some breathtaking views of what must be one of the most enigmatic species in the UK. If it were spring time then maybe I'd have expected it but December, certainly not! 

Cranes over the office!

And one of the comments on facebook I thought was particularly pertinent from someone of a similar age to me, Yorkshire cranes - not in my wildest boyhood dreams. But its true, this species is becoming more and more regular as the European and UK population grows and grows. Exciting times!

Anyway here's a few of my better photos' in the dimming late afternoon light. 

And it just doesn't stop there with the green-winged teal again making a star appearance slap bang in front of Ousefleet hide yesterday. Wildfowl numbers are still holding across site with a good selection of dabbling duck, goldeneye and a single tufted duck while unusual for us in December are a few little grebes.  

Green-winged teal

Goldeneye on Marshland - a young bird I think?

And the teal don't really seem to mind the Konik ponies!

Mute swans in flight

Birds of prey are still putting on a right royal show with plenty of marsh harriers coming into roost although again the hen harrier can be a little erratic, showing some nights but not others. There's also regular merlin and buzzards and a particularly showy barn owl that can often be seen hunting in the mornings. 

Marsh harrier

Barn owl this morning as I was unlocking the reserve

The sunrise was a real screamer

The other stars of the show have certainly been the winter thrushes, there has been a crescendo of activity around the hawthorn bushes with a massive 1000 fieldfare, 100+ redwing and smaller numbers of blackbirds and song thrushes, they have certainly provided a treat on the past two mornings with at times if you stand quiet often feeding within a few feet of me. Here's a few of my better pictures.

Fieldfares

Redwings

And a mix

Fieldfares arriving on site in the morning against the sunrise - you have to enlarge to fully appreciate

And at last I've managed to catch up and photograph the bullfinches who are busy scoffing the willow buds again, there's been up to three two females and a male. 

And hugging the branch to pull it near to nip off the buds

With a bit of cold there has been quite a bit of small bird activity with again the reed buntings showing lovely at times, then a good mix of resident species including the cettis warblers who can often show nicely for the patient observer at this time of year. 

Reed bunting

Stonechats are also still present particularly around the edges of the lagoons. For more details of the full sightings list then see the last blog. 

And finally a heads up for visiting us after the weekend coming - as from 9th Dec the Road closure will change so that access is from the Adlingfleet end of the reserve only on weekdays only. All roads should be open at Weekends. This means if you want to visit during the week then I'm afraid it is a considerably longer Journey via Eastoft, Luddington, Garthorpe and Adlingfleet.