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
Must have been wet … even the Little Grebe looks damp! I suppose you have to find the hide with the wind at your back and hope the birds are also sheltering in the leeward side Despite that you still managed some good stuff, especially the Spotshank and the Snipes (we'll see if Ann notices my pluralisation this time).
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Nige Flickr
Lovely shots Hazel, one and all. I’ve never been close enough to a Spotted Redshank to get cracking shots like those. They’re really quite different from the Common’s when you see the detail close up. I especially like your Grey Heron, stunning shot, a bird that I never tire of seeing. The weather looks terrible but I have to confess that I find an odd pleasure at being out in such conditions, with the added benefit that you normally get the place to yourself as well. :-)
My bird photos HERE
You are a hardy couple, Hazel. If I'd seen that weather outside I'd have gone back to bed.
I'm envious of the Spotshank shots. Never really got close enough for decent photos but I have seen them in their black breeding plumage ..... but that was in Greece LOL. Lovely shots of the Snipe
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Lol Tony, it took two hours to dry out ! Huge rods of rain and even with waterproof clothing and additional thermal base layers and leggings the rain penetrated our coats and trousers but then again, we've been to LM during Storm Eleanor, floods, heatwave and drought ha ha
Hazy you braved the weather - again - and we get to see some fabulous photos. Thanks very much for all your effort posting etc., and nice to see the bigger photos at last.
Horrific here today with the strong wind and rain, hope you get a better day tomorrow before you leave.
Lot to learn
Thank you Gaynor, on the whole we've done really well with the weather for the last week so can't complain as today was the worst of it. Tomorrow there are showers but we will probably head to salt marsh and then to main reserve before heading home on M6 before rush hour. It's been such a fun time and bonus to meet up with Nigel and Jason. Can't wait to do it all again - without the gales and rain storm lol
Lovely set of photos Hazel, love the pintail and snipe. looks like you've had far worse weather in NE than we have over on the east side, been a little wet but nothing like the rain your've suffered, hardy folk up there! We saw Pintails through our bins last week at Arne but too far for any pics.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wherryman/
Wonderful photos again, Hazel. Shame about the weather in the second half of your visit to LM. You're far hardier than I am--I'd be birding from inside in weather like that! It is great that you managed to meet up with Jason and Nigel. I especially like seeing the Pintails and Mallards. Which reminds me...should it be Pintail and Mallard instead of Pintails and Mallards?! No idea!
Nigel, Thought you preferred Snoops to Snipes--LOL! (I've been offline for 2 days so I've only just seen your post!)
Kind regards, Ann
Thanks Ann, today there was a Jack Snoop seen at Tim Jackson hide lol As hard as we tried we could not relocate it even with 6 people looking !
Last day of photos from LM. We had a superb week visiting the reserve each day - and the cafe ! Although we got stuck in that torrential downpour and the strong gales yesterday, overall we cannot complain about the weather as we also had a lot of sunshine in between and it was much drier than the forecast predicted most days. Anyway, today we saw marsh harriers, treecreeper and the confiding rail (that has a separate thread with slide show). A Ringtail Harrier and Jack Snipe were also seen but unfortunately not by us. We did see some fantastic birds including the Great Grey Shrike and it is a week we will never forget along with the amazing close views of the Bittern last Saturday.
Heres the last of the pics and the end of this thread.........
As I walked down the Causeway a female M.Harrier flew right over my head but gone too quickly by the time I pulled the covers off the camera ! These were taken half hour later from Lower Hide
Treecreeper
Walter Rail who is on the other thread
and one of the many many robins ! It wouldn't be right it we didn't finish with one of the stars from Leighton Moss.