Norfolk at Easter

I've just spent a week at my parents in Norfolk, which to most birders in the UK is birding Mecca. I saw lots of birds, added lots of year ticks, and yet I feel there was much more that I could have seen. Right time and right place was what it was all about. I missed out on a number of birds by minutes, and others by not quite being in the right place. That's birding, and tomorrow is another day. Just need to keep getting out there and see what turns up.
I can't complain really, I had some great early mornings and the weather was good too, despite a rather cold easterly wind. One bird that I really wasn't expecting to see was a Greenshank at Morston. It's a bird I usually have to make a concerted effort to see each year, so this was a real bonus.

Greenshank workings it's way through the muddy estuary.

Here with a Curlew. A good size comparison.

Never easy to locate, but this Grey Partridge popped up nicely on my walk.

A really good looking male Northern Wheatear. One of the highlights. They popped up everywhere.

Brambling - Elton Reservoir

Sunshine, and lots of it, has been the theme over the last week. Very few clouds and add to that a bit of warmth and this makes me a very happy boy. It meant I could get out at the weekend with the certainty that the light would be good for some better pictures.
I ventured to Elton Reservoir once again and got lucky with a few Brambling still around the feeders. Not the easiest of subjects, but as the light was good I have forgiven the unsightly branches and the feeder that one was sat on.

This very nice male perched nicely in the sunlight.

Patch Birding

Saturday started off misty and gloomy, but I still went out armed with the camera. This sort of weather is never conducive to nice pictures.
In the gloom, I picked out a pair of Mandarin ducks on my local flooded field. Initially I thought it may have been a Garganey, with the white over the eye, but as it swam out of the mist it was clear it was a male Mandarin. Never mind, a year tick all the same.

Female (left) and male Mandarin

There was a very vocal group of 75+ Fieldfares. I was surprised that they were still around, but pleased to see them once again before they head off to their breeding grounds in the north.

One of the most vocal birds of the morning was the Wren. They're very active at the moment and they make it easy to see them at this time of year. 

Elton Reservoir

Elton Reservoir in Bury is a great place. It attracts most of the common water birds plus good numbers of rarities and less common stuff. Any visit there brings reward in one way or another, be it some good birds, good pictures or just a nice pleasant walk.
At the car park area there are lots of feeders that are regularly topped up by a local birder. These have brought in some good birds during the winter months, in the shape of Brambling, Willow Tit and Lesser Redpoll. I managed to see a Brambling while I was watching, but it was camera shy.

This very nice looking male Bullfinch was a pleasant surprise.

 A nice Common Buzzard overhead.

A Dunnock on territory and looking very nice too.

There were three Goldeneye on the water, but sadly they didn't hang around.

Burton Mere

A nice Spring time visit to Burton Mere is always a good trip out. The sun was shining and the birds were nice and active on the reserve just by the Dee Estuary. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary this day, but it was nice to be out with no rain, snow or wind and good light.

I managed to add a few year ticks too, in the shape of Curlew, Pintail, Marsh Harrier and Oystercatcher. The elusive Cetti's Warbler was once again added to my 'Heard Only' list for the year.

This Dunnock was in fine voice in the warm sunshine.

A Little Egret on a fly past.

A Little Grebe with a fish almost as big as itself.

Some soon to be departed Pink-footed Geese flying over the marsh.

A very good looking Shelduck.

A Teal in the fantastic light.

Scaup and Goosander - Elton Reservoir

A couple of weeks ago, I popped along to Elton reservoir in Bury. It was a lovely warm day, which made a change from the previous cold and damp weeks. I was even able to leave the jacket in the car and just walk around with my t-shirt.
There had been 7 Scaup on the reservoir for some weeks, and this is usually around the time of year that I manage to tick them off. So they were one of my target birds. It's not a small area of water but I had an idea as to where they would be. Right at the opposite end to where I was!
I took my time and made sure I had a good look at what else was on the reservoir. This proved to be the wrong tactic. I had picked them up in the binoculars. They were quite distant at first, but looked settled. Shortly afterwards, a group of Tufted ducks took flight and headed off the reservoir. These were followed by some Gadwall and Canada Geese, and before I had even got close to them the seven Scaup took flight too. Noooooo!!
I had to get the camera up quick in case this was the only opportunity I'd get to see them today. It was exactly that :(

They were swiftly followed by some Goosander. 4 Females here.

Two males at the back here.

Coal Tit - Pennington Flash

The Coal Tit is a bird I've rarely been able to photograph. I see them often, but they are so quick and flitty. Even when I've set up at feeding stations, they are the quickest birds around. They are constantly on the move. They head get to the feeder, grab some food and then head off quickly to the safety of the undergrowth, never allowing a clear shot.
At Pennington Flash a few weeks ago I got lucky and managed just a few shots of this nippy little fellow. The sun was a little too bright, but I was pleased to get something more than a blur, and these are the best I've ever managed of this species.

Fieldfare

Fieldfares had been pretty elusive for me in the last few months, until a few weeks ago when I went for a local walk at Woodford. I came across around 40 birds in a snow covered field. The berries on the trees had long been eaten and so the search for food was on the ground.
They are pretty flighty birds and are spooked easily. So this was a game of patience.
I had to wait and let them come to me. They duly obliged.

Long-Tailed Tit

I've seen so many Long-tailed Tits recently. I usually hear their incessant calling first. I then have to struggle to spot them as they move about the trees. When you see one, you know that there are at least half a dozen others with it. They're always busying themselves and generally making it difficult to photograph them. I did get some decent shots of them though.

I'm really happy with these first two. Feeding in one claw and hanging on with the other.

Never seen them feed like this before.

Red Grouse - Peak District

We've had a cold spell recently, and last week brought us our first snow of the winter here in the North West. Always a pain in the neck when travelling to and from work, it also gives an opportunity to see more wildlife. Due to the cold weather the birds are a lot more active as they desperately search for food.
I was hoping that the nice white blanket might also make it easier to spot some birds. I headed up into the Peak District to see what I could find. Red Grouse are a favourite up here and I was hoping that I'd find some posing nicely against the snow. No such luck. In fact, I found it harder to find them than in the summer.
Their calls gave them away and I managed a few distant shots before the cold drove me back to my car.

Nicely camouflaged against the heather.

Curlew Sandpiper - Burton Mere

A look back to the Summer months, when I took a trip to the Wirral and Burton Mere wetlands. A couple of year ticks were added, in the shape of this Curlew Sandpiper with its superbly curved bill, and a Green Sandpiper.

Both birds stayed fairly distant, but thankfully the light was quite decent. Here is the Curlew Sandpiper. 

Showing typical stance.

Green Sandpiper in the background and Curlew Sandpiper in front.