AWOL Bittern

Bullfinch

Dinky Wings
Hopping GSW

Treecreeper

And again...

All remaining pics (c) 2010 Mike Williamson

Reed Bunting [female]

Shoveler

Teal

Little Grebe

We had great views of Lesser Repolls in the morning, with better glimpses of Siskins in the afternoon. We had a very confiding Treecreeper early doors, with its place taken by a female Blackbird in the afternoon – not an adequate substitute! The morning also saw 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Willow & Coal Tits, but no sign of Water Rails, Bitterns or Jays – apart from distant views of the latter at Huxter Well in the pm. There were plenty of Bullfinches feeding on buds in the sun, but they were difficult to get clear views of, as they were obscured by a tangle of twigs. We did see plenty of wildfowl: Shoveler, Shelduck, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon with a few Pochard. Raptors were represented by at least 2 different Sparrowhawks, with 2 fairly good sightings of a male, plus a distant Buzzard (almost over the M18) and a quickly-disappearing Kestrel. The morning was spoiled by the photographers blocking the Willow Pool Hide, preventing all but one class member from having an unhindered view of the feeders, and then holding an impromptu Canon massive lens tuition session. They had gone by the afternoon, but there weren’t the variety of birds visiting the feeders then. Hope things will be better on Friday.