Deeside N.R. (Connah's Quay)

0A0 couple of hours just over the border into N.Wales (Connah's Quay Deeside reserve)  and the first visit there this year.     Arrived two hours before high tide when the waders were collecting on the bund pools.    Mainly Redshanks but the odd Bk-t-Godwit mixed in and lots of Little Egrets.    All shots were pretty distant so only record shots in the main;  bonus being a Marsh Harrier being harassed by a Carrion Crow and later on there was a Common Buzzard.      Not a day for photographs with the distance but it was a great day for viewing through binoculars.   

Weather was supposed to be 23 degrees at some stage but it was more breezy than we expected and with hide rules asking us to leave the door open, we had a force ten gale blowing through and needed to go put on our sweaters !     

First up a lovely Curlew 

around 20+ Little Egrets and there must have been more behind the bund pools .....

Antennae ready to receive  !! 

Gull  !     ID please 

'bout turn class and I see only one of you is paying attention   !    

lots of redshanks but either facing wrong way or too far on t'other side of bund pool

Too many birds to count....... and this was a fraction of them !     mainly Redshank 

make room for the black tailed Godwit ......................    

adult female Marsh Harrier 

aerial bombardment where the Crow kept hold of the twig/leaves as it to use if as a weapon  !   

  was strange to witness the harassment using equivalent of a birch  !! 

Common Buzzard ....

a Lapwing daring to oust the Buzzard !

Lapwings in flight 

the birds spooked three times ....... not sure if it was due to the Harrier or Buzzard but they were unsettled 

not great pics but it was an interesting couple of hours.    Thanks for viewing.

  • Looks like it was breezy, the way that egret in 3rd pic is leaning into it!! And I could only fit BAR not BLACK onto that godwits thigh, but I do write in block capitals!! I'm sure the crow was just saying it with flowers!!!
    Looks a lovely varied place for a visit Hazel, love all the flighty shots thanks for sharing :o)
  • They certainly are great pics Hazel!
  • A lovely selection of shot's Hazel. You know I do like 'enviroment' shots, lovely.
    Your Gull is an adult Herring Gull, and what a belter of a shot with the blurred background and the way the bird is looking slightly down and off to the side, a real cracker of a photo.!! :-)
  • thanks all,

    @ Paul,  thanks so much for the Herring Gull ID,    took three goes to get his head in shot  LOL      I'll stick the other pics on bad pics thread !    With not taking that many photos this year, I almost have to go back to the drawing board for camera settings so pot luck sometimes.  

  • My word what a lot of waders. I always get a bit bewildered when there's so many birds and never know where to point my camera. I like the shot of the Little Egret marshalling the troop of Redshanks. They were keeping their distance from that formidable bill though.
  • You did really well Hazy, lovely pics of the Curlew, Egret, Marsh Harrier and Buzzard, I like the pic of it just taking off showing off it's wing feathers. All your flight pics are great and you will be glad you didn't venture out today with the wind blowing from the N/E and you really would have been blown out of the hide.