Water Rail at RSPB Greylake!

The weather was miserable today after a big storm last night. Cold, cloudy, dark.... I wasn't going to bother going out anywhere, but decided to pop to RSPB Greylake for a couple of hours, despite the low light. As a photographer with a long zoom lens, light is very important for sharp pictures with lots of detail. In conditions like today, the photo's I get will be little more than 'record shots' as I'll be using high ISOs and the pics will be quite noisy.
   However, I was glad that I ventured out as from the hide I had my best ever views of Water Rails!
Very elusive birds that skulk around inside the reeds and wet willows, more often heard than seen!
 The birds I saw today swam across the water too, something I'd not seen them do before!
  Also seen were Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Kingfisher, Snipe, Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Long Tailed Tit, Wren, Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail and Stonechat.
 
Below are some photo's from my visit, starting with the Water Rails;

^Above^ - Water Rails!

^Above^ - Snipe.

^Above^ - Stonechats.

^Above^ - Teal.

^Above^ - Male and female Wigeon.

^Above^ - Shoveler.

 

^Above^ - Mallards.

^Above^ - Mating Mallards! You can just about see the females head underneath!

^Above^ - Marsh Harrier.

^Above^ - Wren.

^Above^ - Kingfisher.

^Above^ - Gadwall.

^Above^ - Long Tailed Tits.

^Above^ - Magpie.

^Above^ - Meadow Pipit.... with Pied Wagtail, bottom pic.

^Above^ - Mute Swans.

^Above^ - Carrion Crows.