Having walked up and down the reserve on Friday I saw Linnet, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Wren, Blue and Great Tits, Green and Gold finches, Canada Geese, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Egrets - the usual suspects - but only fleeting views of Bearded Tits. I also saw my first Red Admiral of 2015 down by the sea-wall. No sign of the Grasshopper Warbler.
I was chuffed that my camera was able to resolve this photo of gulls as they were so far away on the distant shoreline!
Tufted Ducks in the short pontoon inlet.
This Coot was feeding her chicks with a fish which she chopped up for them and fed them in morsels. I aways assumed that they were vegetarian!
Speeding Moorhen from the pontoon bridge.
Disappointed at not having taken any decent photographs I returned to the pontoon bridge, but only saw a couple of Beardies flying over the reed beds and dropping down out of view. As I walked back towards the visitors' centre I saw a Heron in the middle of the out-of-bounds path, behind the gate to the right of the screens, so I walked up to the gate to take a shot. As I was snapping away I heard a 'pinging' behind me and there was a male Beardie in plain view in the reeds to the left of the screen.
Well I got some shots of this and I was well-pleased but really none of them were as good as my next set, which were taken about 50' beyond the screens on the way back to the visitor's centre. There were multiple pings coming from this spot where two male Beardies were feeding on a Reed Mace that had blown and was like candy floss on a stick. The other was a female that was just on the stems nearby. They lingered for a while. long enough for me to negotiate the difficulties of focusing through the reeds and I was able to get the shots here. Virtually all of the ones I took of them on the bullrush were out of focus but I was able to do better with the male isolated on a stem. Up until this year I hadn't been able to get a decent shot of a male so very pleased that this one stayed long enough for me to grab a few.
On Saturday I went down Salt Marsh Lane and saw Green-Veined White and Brimstone butterflies, a Buzzard and a Cuckoo. I heard but couldn't spot a Willow Warbler.
I'm afraid the Cuckoo was just too far away for a decent shot but at least it's recognisable in these shots.
Last but not least I saw this Damselfly!
Great set of pics John, I went down to Uskmouth today and didn't even take my camera as it was blowing a hooly. Saw very few birds, lots of Lackey moth caterpillars, no butterflies or Damsel/Dragonflies. Just went for the exercise really. Did hear a Cuckoo at both ends of the reserve but not seen.
Thanks David! That wind will certainly keep the birds down. Interesting that you saw so many Lackey Moth caterpillars because I know that I wouldn't have spotted them. I have no idea what they or the adults look like. I'm guessing that they're fairly distinctive.
Yes, lovely colours and hairy. Notice them first because of "muslin" tents on briars.
Great pictures of the male Bearded Tits. Any sort of shot of the cuckoo is a bonus. They seem to always keep a couple of hundred yards in front of you as you walk around the reserve, just coming closer as they fly past.
I've not managed many worthwhile photos recently. Did manage some nice Reed Warbler last Wednesday evening. I couldn't resist going down as it was such a calm, warm evening with an awful forecast for the next day.
That is a classic shot Colin! Very difficult to get them clear of the reeds!
Lovely shots, John (and David and Colin!). It was great that you managed to catch the male Beardie, John.
Kind regards, Ann
Thanks Ann, I've been very lucky this year to capture them after three years of failing to get any photos of the male and very few sightings. Fledglings are a different matter and when they're around it's not unusual to see eight at a time!