Reservoir Woods

I took a walk around one of my favourite reservoirs and it's woodland last week, and it was alive with birdsong and wildlife. There was plenty to see, even if some of my subjects didn't make it easy. Their song always gave them away, and helped me locate them. 

There were Pied Flycatchers and Common Redstarts, plus some bonus birds like the Garden Warbler, Sparrowhawk and Common Sandpipers. It was a lovely sunny day, and the temperature lifted nicely too. 

I found some nesting birds, and others in good locations. So that all bodes well for when I return in a few weeks time, to hopefully find some of them feeding young.

Common Sandpiper

Great Crested Grebe

Mandarin Duck

Nuthatch

Pied Flycatcher

Common Redstart

Sparrowhawk

Changing of the Guard

It's that time of year, when I get a bit twitchy and excited about what might be turning up nearby. Each year my search for migrants gets earlier and earlier, in the hope that something unusual might just pop in on the off chance. This tends to just leave me frustrated and moaning that 'everything is late this year'. In reality, it's just me being impatient. With all that said, by me getting out there and searching hard, I do get to see quite a few other birds that I might overlook on regular days. Then there are also some I haven't seen for a while and enjoy watching, knowing that they will be doing the reverse and leaving our shores until the autumn/winter months.

One such bird is the Fieldfare. I'd seen very few over winter, but on several early mornings recently I've seen flocks of over 100 feeding on the ground. A really good looking Thrush. Can't wait until I hear their call again in the Autumn, but not before I've ticked off all our summer migrants first.

Fieldfare

Goosander

Great Crested Grebe

Grey Wagtail

Long-tailed Tit

Redesmere Lake

 I had a day off this week and it also just so happened to be a sunny but cold day. It was a sad day as it was the funeral of a good friend of mine. To take my mind off things I headed over to Redesmere in the morning to see if I could make use of the good sunlight. There was plenty around, both on the water and in the trees. Plenty of gulls, Tufted Duck, and Great Crested Grebe, with the odd Kingfisher and Redwing.

Great Crested Grebe in its winter plumage

This Treecreeper was busy picking away underneath the bark

The Tufted Ducks were looking particularly fine in the sun

There are only ever one or two Lesser Black-backed Gulls in amongst the Black headed Gulls. A good size comparison here with the Lesser on the right.

A very good looking Lesser Black-backed Gull

The Camera is out

I ventured out with my camera on Wednesday evening. It was about seven o'clock and very quiet everywhere in terms of people, so I thought it safe and okay to take my second walk of the day. It felt exciting again to be able to look through the viewfinder of the camera after such a long time. To see the bird come into focus and press the shutter button. So strange for something quite meaningless, but something that gives me great joy. I don't plan on taking the camera on all my walks, as it means stopping and that is not always ideal in these times. So early mornings and evenings for me, when it is at its quietest.

Anyhow, I managed to see quite a few birds, including some lovely House Martins, Swallows and Great Crested Grebes over and on the water. I also got to see quite a number of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. Hard to tell apart in looks, but always helps when they sing for you.

A Willow Warbler

 And the very similar Chiffchaff

Great Crested Grebe

Pennington Flash

These pictures are from a few weeks back when I took a visit to Pennington Flash, which is one of the premier birding sites in the North West. Such a varied array of habitats, it attracts so many different species.
It was a bright morning (always a bonus) and there was lots to see. There were Reed and Sedge Warblers in the reed beds. A Kingfisher zipped past while I was watching some of the many Grey Herons, and the main water held hundreds of Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins. It was a fantastic Spring morning.

A male Blackcap was letting everyone know he was around.

Common Terns taking a rest in front of Horrock's hide.

Great crested Grebe.

A juvenile Grey Heron, and some Lapwings behind.

Little ringed plover.

Stock Dove

Something I try every year. Catching a Swift in flight. It's not very easy.

It's not all doom and gloom.

A walk around a local lake recently showed signs of an impending Spring. The Coots were very feisty and chasing rivals away and even sometimes off the lake. The Grey Herons were setting up nest sites and some actually on the nests. Great Crested Grebes were seen to do their courtship displays. All very exciting for me, as it reminds me that these short dark days won't be forever and that Spring will come again and so will the sunshine.

Coot

Great Crested Grebe

Redesmere

There were quite a few other ducks, geese and gulls at Redesmere last week. Here are just a few of them. Hopefully there may be a few rarer birds as we go into the winter months. It would be even better if there is sunshine like this all the time. Light makes photography so much easier. All that's needed then are the birds.

Great Crested Grebe about to take off

A nice male Tufted Duck

And the female.

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebes have been in fine breeding plumage recently. Pairs have been displaying and others sat on eggs in the nest. They can look a little pale and bland in the winter months, but at this time of year, they really put on their glad rags.
With super black plumes on either side of the head and puffed out neck feathers, it really is a quite striking bird.