Middleton Lakes 18 April 2021

My return to Middleton Lakes has been way tooooo long overdue, the last time was 2nd Feb 2020, before lockdown #1!

So it was good to be able to get back there, though they had been extremely busy, I understand the car park was full by 09:00 most days. So, I took a chance, schools would be back on Mon 19th after their Easter break, many people will be back to work, so, the golden rule, never on a school night, I took a gamble that things would be relatively close to normal.

It paid off, the car park was practically empty when I arrived, the sun was out, a lesser spotted woodpecker was hammering away, though I never saw it, and by the time I'd got my binoculars pointing in the right direction, it went quiet!

Typical!

Talking to one of the RSPB volunteers, they had cattle egrets back, not just one, but three!

I'll be seeking them out later, definitely.

Undeterred, I carried on, noting the one-way system employed.

BTW, I got a little carried away, like a child in a sweet shop, and took almost 300 photos!

Fear not, there won't be 300 photos here, I managed to sort them out last night to a manageable number.

It wasn't long before I heard another woodie hammering away, this time a GSW, with the proverbial branch in the way. But the camera's AF did manage to lock on, just for one shot only!

The crows, which were extremely close by, only a step or two away, were noisy and busy, nest building/repairing, and again, the proverbial branch was there, but I managed to grab a photo of one trying to break a twig. It did, but the AF wouldn't lock on, so second best is all I can supply.

Not requiring to move, a blue tit had found some juicy shoots to nibble on

Then, it was time to move on, or I'd never get anywhere else on the reserve, and to the first feeding station, with a very disillusioned nuttie, seeking out food, that wasn't there.

While I'm thinking about it, did someone say they'd not seen a nuttie standing upright!

Fed up, no, make that disappointed, it flew on to a nearby twig, all because I'd left my bribery container at home... [note to self, must remember to pack bribery material]

I put my hand in my pocket, and guess hat, whooosh, it was back!

And they say animals are stupid!

This little nuttie was living in hope....

The cattle egrets, all three, were there, but had moved down the field, and just by a thin patch of hawthorn hedging, which meant I had a reasonably unobstructed view, for a very short time, the camera was able to focus reasonably well, on the sheep! 

And another for good luck. (I won't let on how many photos I took, but a very large percentage were no good, and a good chuck of he 300 photos taken....)

Then, finally, I made the first of the lakes, but that was overwhelmed with black headed gulls, and not very photogenic, so I quickly moved to the next of the lakes, While walking, I could hear a bittern, or two, or more, calling, but no sightings.

However, Mr & Mrs Tuftie were calmly swimming and feeding.

A black headed gull had been gathering nesting material

And a heron was getting mobbed by a black headed gull (video yet to be uploaded), that hadn't even got young!

Hitching a ride....

Yeehah!

Graceful and elegant, a mute swan

I'm guessing, either a female of juvenile reed bunting. I'm happy for any guidance.

Definitely a male reed bunting

Avocets, I missed them last year....

Shovellor male

and by the look of it, two males having a frackar!

Mr & Mrs Teal

Red Shank

Jenny Wren was keeping a low profile, but I managed to dodge the proverbial branch...

A rather bold male pheasant decided to investigate me.....

Three mute swans heading my way....

And to finish the day, a small white butterfly, I'm tempted to say green veined, but I'm open to corrections/suggestions

Stay safe folks, another visit will happen soon, plus a few more further afield reserves.....