Headed back to our favourite rspb reserve this morning and staying in a cottage around the corner for a whole week ! It was a beautiful sunny morning but we didn't start out too early and arrived after 10am for a quick recce round. It was fairly quiet on the main reserve although we did see a distant Great Egret as well as 4 of their smaller cousins and I believe there are two or three Cattle Egret so we'll catch up with those hopefully another day. After no reports for a week of the Great Grey Shrike, it was spotted by two rspb senior staff this lunchtime so it was a very pleasing report - not sure we'll see it ourselves during our week here but we were glad to hear it was staying around the area. Bitterns have also been reported and the same staff saw one today at Causeway hide and then same bird in flight. We haven't ventured off the main reserve on our quick trek round but lots of time to do that duirng the next 6/7 days.
Robins are a plenty as you would expect on this reserve and plenty willing to hop on to your hand or help themselves to live mealworms from the tub ! One robin was trying to break the four minute robin record today and eventually I had to politely ask it to head back to the twig before my frozen fingers dropped off lol A water rail was too close for photos as I had the 300mm x 2 on the camera but managed record shot of it. Not many pics today as it was a day for strolling round and looking through binoculars.
I won't keep Paul (MC) waiting for his robin fix so will start with those ....
We saw one Great Egret and four Little Egrets
GE was a bit distant for pics - seen from Lilians Hide
and its smaller cousin taking off
was a little breezy !
We saw a pair of Bearded Tits on the Grisedale grit tray but no decent pics
Lots of ducks around including these attractive Teal - Drake
female Teal
and rhe record shots of the Rail
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Regards, Hazel
cheers Tony, it was lovely to have such prologed views of this Bittern and well out in the open away from the reeds. Apart from seeing those gorgeous photos that WJ took I hadn't realised they had such lovely green legs ! they do look comical when they stretch their neck up and look straight at you - weird and wonderful birds lol I'm afraid I don't have photos for you today as it was a much quieter day and we were meeting up with Jason. There were tons of people too being a Sunday so I was using binoculars more than a camera and after lunch I didn't bring the camera back out with me when we called back at the cottage. The Shrike was there again a little nearer up the woodland walk but as a chap was using his camera and scope I hung back a bit until he'd taken a few shots so not to disturb him; shortly after it flew off again so I didn't see it but it is around still which is nice. He had seen it around 8am and it was in a tree much closer to the path and he managed a really good record shot of it - was too dark really for a sharp pic. The Shrike then went down into a hidden ditch area and then up into the trees further back on the far fence-line but wasn't seen again for a few hours. If you are patient you have a good chance to see it although standing still for more than 40 mins in this weather takes a brave person ! Tomorrow morning we will head off to the salt marsh to see if we can spot the American Wigeon. It's been a lovely few days but weather changing soon I think.
Lovely set of shot’s, Hazel. Well done on finding the Shrike, I’ve never seen one, it looks like a sturdy we bird. Love the shot of the Great Egret, very nice.
My bird photos HERE
Thanks Paul, you have to take credit for the G.Egret shot as I followed your wonderful examples for including the surrounding landsape into the shot and not cropping all pics too tightly; your photos give a greater feel for the habitat and area so I'm trying to learn this. As they say, every picture "should" tell a story ! Forgot to say that when I edited the GE photo I actually said to Mike about leaving this photo with the atmospheric habitat and referred to your photos as the prime example !! lol
At least your getting something back from the BTO :)
Jim
My Pictures
My Fbook Group
I bet this is the same chap who has put a picture up on Facebook Hazel.
And I hope you see the American Wigeon it shows well at Alan hide on the far right most of the time.
the Shrike was seen by a few folk today and we hope we see it again before the weather changes on Tuesday. We'll have a look for the AW at the Allen hide tomorrow so thanks for the location tip. Sometimes it is too distant to see and if you are lucky it can be on one of the islands opposite Allen hide. Nigel will be there in the morning too so we'll be able to catch up and then head for main reserve where Jason will be spending his second day. It's a forum meet up again lol
That’s an exceptionally nice thing for you to say Hazel, thank you.
Does this mean that I get a free book too? ;-)
LOL Paul, the photo they wanted was for the bird health section and was of a GT with avian pox so not the nicest photo to see unfortunately. I had to look up the email again ...... the book is "Garden Birds' for the Collins New Naturalist series" Got to say I do like the BTO books, they are so well written.
Many congratulations Hazel, even shots of diseased or injured birds can be of great help as this clearly proves. Will keep an eye out for the book if you tell us when it’s released.
Speaking of injured birds, we had a small brown bird which flew into the front window and stunned itself. A nice gentleman passing by managed to revive it by gently pumping its wings in and out. We were very lucky that he was a qualified sparramedic.!! ;)
Lucky that chap came by and helped the injured bird, right place right time ..... I love the expression Sparramedic LOL !!
post edit I've not got any sign boards with my pics on them yet like some people I know - I'm still an apprentice lol