Fabulous, if chilly, forecast, Mrs PB had researched the interweb for somewhere new to go, and was also off (meaning sausage sarnies!!) and she came up with Seaton. Well... what a lovely find!!
In the car park several Robins and Tits flitted through the hedges, obviously accustomed to the comings and goings of humankind. Moving into the reserve itself there were viewing screens and a few hides overlooking a couple of lakes, and some reedbeds, and (on this occasion) waterlogged fields, that the Canada Geese were enjoying, too distantly for meaningful photos.
From the first hide which featured a screened walkway out into the water, there were Teal, Shelduck and singles of Redshank, and Moorhen
On the walk around, there were several Stonechats that appeared and disappeared equally fleetingly!
I think this is the first place I've seen more Moorhen than Coots, if either have been present
There were a lot of Mallards, looking stunning in the sunshine
And a couple of pheasants were foraging in the frostiness
I'm still struggling with my "bird in flight" pics, but practise is improving them, slowly.
It's not often I've managed a male and female Stonechat in the same frame, but I got two different pairs on this trip
There were lots of "tame" Robins about, obviously used to being fed, but currently there are avian flu restrictions in place
Another quacking pose from Mr Mally!!
And one of the many Blue Tits flitting amongst the Bullrushes
There were a lot of "woodland" birds about, I'm guessing the warbler is a Chiffchaff, but there were a couple of wrens, and also, my highlight, several Goldcrest
Settled in the sunlight, between warbler shots, Mrs PB spotted a Squirrel
A bit of a Goldcrest gallery now... starting with 2 in one shot...and the magic of focus through a twig!
Moving on from the little terrors, a Mistle (I think) Thrush
When you move on, I shall eat this....but I don't want you to think I have bad table manners!
The only Greenfinch I've seen in months (apart from when Linda's posted her garden pics!!)
I'm guessing from those claws, a Meadow Pipit... the wires were popular, with a good number of the Pipits, along with Starlings and Goldfinches using them
This was pretty distant, and not sure what it is...Grouse? Partridge?
Another 'chat pair
Not sure if these are the same two birds from before, didn't notice them flying by...
A Dunnock, not worrying too much how close we were
Out on the marsh, a Little Egret
Never complete without a Corvid!
From the last hide we went to, a Little Grebe (I think)
Two (4) of the multitudinous Lapwings
And finally a female Wigeon. Further out were a flock of Black Tailed Godwits, and a lot of Black Headed Gulls, with a few Redshank and Oystercatcher mixed in.
So, a new place to go, well worth a visit, and certainly somewhere we'll return to, as there was more we didn't see in the locality.
I hope you enjoyed the trip out, and if you've had rubbish weather, relax, it's pants here too today lol
Stay Safe All
Hi PB,
Another productive day out for you and a great sequence of the elusive Goldcrests.
Lots of practice improves birds in flight hit rates but setting the right focus pattern and focus responsiveness is important but can take a lot of trial and error to get the best results. Enjoy yourself practicing.
Thanks for sharing,
Trevor
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
Cin J
Lot to learn