Fatbirder's Top 1000 Birding Websites

Saturday, 23 April 2016

Bitterns, Marsh Harriers, Little Egrets, Blackcaps and Garganey!


It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted here on my blog, it seems it takes me long enough to sort and edit my photos, and sometimes the blog has to wait a little while! 
   I do post a daily nature picture on my Facebook page though here;


 Spring is here, and Summer migrants are starting to arrive! 
 Swallows, Swifts and Martins, Reed Warblers, Blackcaps.....I even heard my first Cuckoo at Ham Wall this week!
   Photography wise, I got a distant shot of 4 Bitterns in the air at Ham Wall! Even elusive birds come out into the open more than normal in the Spring...they're all getting 'twitterpated' and looking for a mate! Cetti's Warblers often sing in more exposed perches at this time of year, so you have a better chance to see this loud but shy little bird!
  At the Avon Gorge at Bristol I saw the breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons, though I was just a few feet from an exposed ledge and a deadly fall! Not for the feint-hearted!
   Back at Ham Wall, the new Avalon Hide in the middle of the reed beds gave great views of a breeding pair of Marsh Harriers!
  There were lots of Warblers about too..... 2 male Blackcaps chased each other about for at least 20 minutes by the car park! 
  Near Westhay I photographed a couple of Little Egrets by the road side.
  At RSPB Greylake, a rare sunny afternoon enabled me to photograph the Reed Buntings and other little birds, and on another more overcast day I photographed Rats helping themselves to the seed put out for the birds!
   Today I walked to the hide and saw young Coots being fed by their parents..... and in the distance a beautiful male Garganey on the water by the reeds!

Below are a collection of photos from the last 2 weeks;



^Above^ - Heron (and Little Egret!) near Westhay.







^Above^ - Little Egrets near Westhay.









^Above^ -  Blue Tits at Greylake.





^Above^ - Chaffinches at Greylake.




^Above^ - Dunnocks at Greylake.


^Above^ -  Bickering Goldfinches near Enmore in Somerset.



^Above^ - Great Tit at Greylake.





















^Above^ - Reed Buntings at Greylake.










^Above^ - Robins at Greylake.



^Above^ - Robin at the Avon Gorge, Bristol.


^Above^ - Speedboat on the River Avon, as seen from the Avon Gorge!





^Above^ - Buzzard near Rooksbridge in Somerset.


^Above^ - Carrion Crow at the Avon Gorge.




^Above^ - Chiffchaff near Rooksbridge.


^Above^ - Fox, seen from the top of the Avon Gorge!




^Above^ - Jackdaws at the Avon Gorge...the bottom one thinks it's a Magpie!!


^Above^ - Peregrine Falcon at the Avon Gorge!



^Above^ - Roe Deer near Bristol....slowly losing it's Winter coat!



^Above^ - Bitterns in the air at RSPB Ham Wall!


^Above^ - Spring at Ham Wall.




^Above^ - Cormorants at Ham Wall.



^Above^ -  Godfinches at Ham Wall.


^Above^ - Great White Egret at Ham Wall.


^Above^ -  Heron at Ham Wall.


^Above^ - Mallard at Ham Wall.






^Above^ - Marsh Harriers at Ham Wall.





^Above^ - Pochards at Ham Wall (Plus Tufted Ducks, bottom pic)


^Above^ - Late afternoon reeds at Ham Wall.



^Above^ - Male Sparrowhawk near Middlezoy, Somerset.


^Above^ - Wren collecting nesting material at Ham Wall.


^Above^ - Flowering Cherry and Bee in my home Somerset village.



^Above^ - Mistle Thrush in my home village.


^Above^ - Woodpigeon in my home village.


^Above^ - Blackbird at Greylake.


^Above^ -  Blue Tit at Greylake.


^Above^ - Buzzard at Greylake.


^Above^ -  Carrion Crow at Greylake.





^Above^ - Chaffinches at Greylake.






^Above^ - Dunnocks at Greylake.


^Above^ - Goldfinch at Greylake.




^Above^ - Great Tit at Greylake.







^Above^ - House Sparrows at Greylake.







^Above^ - Rats at Greylake.







^Above^ - Reed Buntings at Greylake.



^Above^ - Robins at Greylake.






^Above^ - Blackcaps at Ham Wall.






^Above^ - Cetti's Warbler at Ham Wall.





^Above^ - Chiffchaffs at Ham Wall.



^Above^ - Great Tit with moustache at Ham Wall!!


^Above^ - Lesser Black Back Gull at Bridgwater in Somerset.


^Above^ - Long Tailed Tit at Ham Wall.


^Above^ - Sparrowhawk at Bridgwater.


^Above^ - Tufted Duck at Ham Wall.



^Above^ - Baby Coot!!


^Above^ - Gadwalls at Greylake.


^Above^ - Male Garganey at Greylake.


^Above^ - Lapwing at Greylake.


^Above^ - Moorhen at Greylake.


^Above^ - Mute Swan at Greylake.



^Above^ - Male Reed Bunting, today at Greylake.


^Above^ - Robin, today at Greylake.


^Above^ - Nest building Wren, in front of the hide at Greylake!

No comments:

Post a Comment