After the snow came te inevitable melt and lots of heavy rain too! Paradise field became a lake once more!
Last Saturday, whilst driving back from shopping with my Mum, we spied someone on the bridge with scope & tripod and could see whitish birds... so Sunday morning, I returned to see if they were still about! And they were!! 5 goosanders! 2 males and 3 females!
one female was a bit 'touchy' towards the other male!
Don't have any decent pics of all 5 together! so here are the 4 again! The males were occasionnally showing some aggression towards one another!
Then I spotted a female goldeneye which was a treat!
Also managed my best pic yet of a crow in a nearby tree which seemed quite relaxed with me being there! Obviously knew I couldn't get to him if I tried!
There was also a good amount of Canada geese, some buzzards, black headed gulls and mallards.
Of course, I couldn't resist adding a pic of my beloved hares which I saw on the way there!
The floods have already subsided a fair bit although with the rain today and more forecast for tomorrow, it may not be long before it's a lake again!
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
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Really nice set of photos. Goosanders are very attractive birds. Love the hares. I've never managed to get close enough to be able to photograph them.
I can empathise with the flooding problems. I haven't been able to get to the hide at my local nature reserve because the access path is underwater.
TJ
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Tony
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Thanks MarJus, lovely photographs. It always surprises me, how soon the birds move in after a field is flooded. We seem to have swans and various waders, which appear from nowhere on to our local field. Maybe they just get used to it happening each year.
Hi MarJus
Great set of pictures {thumbs up}
I love Gooseanders, and Goldeneye a whole lot
At least the flood opened the doors to seeing all sorts of different species.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Hi MarJus,
Great set of pics as usual, and I love the hares. The field next to me floods but all we ever get are a couple of Mallards and Gulls. Our river is full of Mallards, but I never see any other sort of duck. At our previous house the Mallards used to come to our garden every day, although we were quite a few hundred yards from the river.
Cheers, Linda.
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Hi MarJus, brilliant photos. Lovely to see the hares. It's such a shame about the flooding, even if it was to be expected, but that first photo is a terrific scene.
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Quality shots as always MarJus, I really like the crow shot, it is great even zoomed in and blown up. ACE
For viewing or photography right place right time is everything. I'd rather be in the right place with poor kit than have the best kit and be in the wrong place.
Great set of photo's, lovely shot of the hares.
Regards Buzzard
Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way
Thank you all for your comments! The field is now again a field save for a few large puddles! Not seen any sign of the goosanders since so am pleased that I saw them!
Here's my favourite hare pic of the year so far! (Got a message from Martin Hughes-Games to ask permission to show it on snow watch but evidently they ran out of time... Oh well, it was nice to be asked!)
What a great shot. No wonder it's your favourite. What do think he/she is doing? Keeping an eye out for predators or being prepared for amorous advances?
What fabulous pics. Thanks for sharing them :-))
Best wishes Chris
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