It's been a few weeks now since I visited my closest RSPB reserve Old Moor, so I thought it was about time I did something about that, so I set off reasonably early to get there when it opened and made my way first of all to the Bird Garden hide where there was already a GSW on the feeding pole. So that was a good start to the day!
There always seem to be plenty of bulfinches there too and today was no exception, and this pair were obliging enough to sit on the same post for me!
Also on the grass a speckled wood butterfly
And a smart looking reed bunting.
This magpie made me smile - it hurled itself two or three times at the wooden pole that has holes cut out of it and filled with some type of suet or similar, trying to get at it like the woodpecker, but he was just too big! He had to make do with clearing up the seed from the ground!
It must have been lunchtime here - the ground looked so colourful with the chaffinches and bulfinch.
After spending some time in the bird garden (and being fortified with a scone and latte in the cafe - highly recommended!!) I went off the the far end of the reserve. I didn't spend an awful lot of time at the Mere but came back to the wader scrape to watch all the goings on! FIrst of all a beautiful oystercatcher digging in the grass.
A black headed gull was determined to tug this stick out of the lake!
Whilst others were just having a nap at the waters edge!
There was a lapwing looking lovely in the sunshine.
I think it's displaying here - there was another one flying around it in the sky.
And on top of all that I had been hearing chiffchaffs all over the reserve all morning, but just before I left I decided to sit in the sunshine at one of the benches in the playground area and have a drink before setting off home, and once again I heard a chiff chaff. I looked up and it was sat there chiffchaffing away in a nice branch of a tree with no leaves on. Just how obliging is that?!! So I managed to grab a couple of pics.
So, another really enjoyable visit to Old Moor - such a lovely reserve.
See my Flickr photos here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/115745582@N04/
Lovely set as ever Christine. Adore the Chiffchaff and the Oystercatcher. Did you see the Garganey?
OM really is special isn't it, and soon to be even better when the new hide opens. Having said that I'm having a birding day tomorrow but rather than spend it at OM I'm going to venture further afield and pay my first visit to Frampton Marsh.
Regards
Ian
Hi Ian, no I didn't see the Garganey unfortunately, but I was more than happy with what I did see. And I agree - Old Moor is special - it has a really nice feel to it. I can spend hours just wandering up and down between hides watching what is going on.
Hope you have a good day tomorrow at Frampton - you'll have to let me know how you get on. I've been there a couple of times in the past, and it's another of my favourite reserves. I went there about a month ago and there was loads to see. I've got another week off work and am going to Flamborough on Thursday so am keeping my fingers crossed for decent weather.
Nice selection Christine, looks a really nice place with plenty to see. a very obliging CC indeed, glad you got him,what did the BHG do with that log, did you see?
Terry
cheers Terry
my photo's here
Thanks Bob.
Terry - the BHG, when he finally managed to drag that branch out of the water, flew right over to the other side of the lake with it!
Lovely set of photos Christine, the Bullfinches are always a treat to see. Scones sounds good too!
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
Blimey, he's not doing part time building eyries for ospreys is he? Lol
Hi Christine. I somehow missed this the other day. Lovely set of photos again with the Lapwings being my favourites although with such a great selection it's not an easy choice. It sounds like a great place to visit.
Paul
My bird photos HERE
Great set of pictures Christine,I must admit Old Moor is one of our favourites', both the staff and wildlife are brilliant, just missed the Bittern last time we were there.
Thanks Paul and Paul! I've never managed to see the bittern yet, but Old Moor is a place I keep going back to - great place.
Thank you Birdie - you say such nice things!! I have developped a real passion for photography, although I cannot say I am a photographer! I made a friend via this site who lives fairly close to me and he is brilliant - tries his best to give me tips, but I am just hopeless with equipment - the sort of person who gets her husband to read the manual for how to work for example the dvd player and then just tell me what buttons to press! It's a bit like that with me and the camera, a lot of these are just point and zoom (and the camera has a good zoom), but I have managed to learn to do a bit of exposure compensation so by the time I retire I might be somewhere near there!!!!!!