 |
| Marsh Harrier |
It was a bright and reasonably warm day, a call back to last Wednesday. You wouldn't have known that it was near below zero between then and now. This morning, I was joined by Sam Stronge, who wanted to film the marsh harrier sky dancing displays with me at Fen Hide. It took them some time until they started to participate for us, though it was mostly distant and not as flamboyant to what I was hoping. If only we stayed behind just 5 minutes after we had to leave the Fen Hide so that I could start my shift as it apparently all kicked off. I saw part of it from Reception Hide. The males were busy showing off with looping aerial displays. However, it was actually the buzzards that really dominated skies with at least 10 or more of them spiralling high above the reserve like a column as the morning thermals carried them higher and higher into the clouds.
 |
| Buzzard |
 |
| Kingfisher |
The other main highlight on this fine Wednesday morning was a pair of kingfishers. It was a bit of a territorial dispute as one chased the other away before coming down to perch on the small boat that belongs to the reserve's staff and was moored in front of the Reception Hide. This was a female as you can clearly see from the orange 'lipstick' on the lower mandible of her bill and in this perfect light, her colours truly shone brightly. After a couple of minutes posing on the boat, she made a short flight to the post over by the reedy islands before leaving the scene. There were other brief appearances, but nothing lasting long enough as that first showing.
Also about today were; 3 Chinese water deer from Fen Hide, 2 treecreepers, siskins, the sound of drumming woodpeckers and the first yellow flowers of colt's-foot are now in bloom.
 |
| Chinese Water Deer |
 |
| Gadwall |
 |
| Teal |
 |
| Shoveler |
 |
| Mute Swan |
 |
| Mallard waiting for a free meal! |
 |
| Canada Geese |
 |
| Male Pochard |
 |
| Female Pochard |
 |
| Wren |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Colt's-foot |
No comments:
Post a Comment