Blashford Lakes - Great White Egret touchdown

I had an hour to kill after giving a talk in Dorset and Blashford Lakes were just around the corner from my hospitality! Called in and had this Great white Egret briefly land in front of me in the main hide before immediately taking off...

There was not a lot else to catch my eye!

Venus Pool - Ruff 'n ready

I'd taken more than enough pointless record shots the previous evening when this juvenile Ruff flew into Venus Pool... Most are now deleted as today, after quite a wait, it flew in a bit closer...

Viewed from the North members hide, it was hopefully just a matter of time before it came even closer still?

Pausing beside one of several Green Sandpipers...

And then running even closer :-)

Would have been nicer in the dark green water...

But I'll settle for these, given the previous distant dots!

Eventually, it slowly departed back to the middle of the pool

A welcome addition to the wader list at VP for 2018. The conditions are amazing at the north end, a 'big one' must drop in soon??

Venus Pool - Great White Egret flight moments

There have been up to four Little Egrets just lately and today a Great White Egret  joined in the low water fish feast! Before we get to the fish, here's a few of the flighty moments...

A very angelic pose as it took flight from the far bank towards me...

Gliding in with flaps down!

 There must be a name for this ballet move?

Keeping an eye on the little uns!

And with the gulls already copying the Greenshank fishing technique, they now had another one to master!

The green water making for delightful if somewhat hazy reflections!

Fish and more reflections coming next...

Venus Pool - Great White reflections and Fish!

Time for a few images of the Great White Egret in the water or on terra firma! Seen here cementing good relations with the locals!

Then, best foot forward in search of fish...

That long neck comes in really handy at keeping one's distance and then strikes like a snake!

Sometimes resulting in just droplets?

But more often than not a (small) fish...

Fish toss moments aren't easy, getting to know the timing involved with a particular species involves a lot of wasted shots!

In close-up, it's a blink of the eye job which sometimes hits lucky!

Never a dull moment with a GWE!! Wonder if we will get a Cattle Egret again before the month is out?

Venus Pool - Greenshank gone fishing

The Dunlin which has been hanging around for a few days has departed but in addition to the 6  Green Sandpipers present today, we have a Greenshank dropping in...

They have a varied diet, including fish and this one was totally reoccupied with fish - feeding Avocet style except to was a straight line rather than sweeping action! And it was quite happy to try the trawler technique in deeper water!

 

In the shallows...

And success!

Down the hatch!

Even the gulls ended up copying him!!

Venus Pool - Dunlin in the rain

A rain sodden, freezing session all morning didn't turn anything of note up! Hopes of a Tern or a decent wader soon evaporated but at least the water level got a bit of a boost!

Also, the Dunlin which has been present for the past few days, decided to come a bit closer than the norm! Normally shy and retiring, I thought it was going to join me in the hide?!

Here he is, latched onto his Green Sandpiper mate...

And with water forming a pool in front of the hide once more...

Showing rather well!

'Only' a Dunlin but the pool looks amazing at the moment, it has to turn something good up??!

Little Egrets - keep on truckin' at VP

Late Summer is always prime time for Little Egrets at Venus Pool and they were on top form today with FIVE present including one aggressive 'territorial' bird anxious to clear the others off! So it was an excellent opportunity for flight shots and posturing...

A few selections, starting with take off... 

And flight...

And approx half a second of this 'keep on truckin' sequence as one tried to march the other off the reserve!

Synchro magic and makes a change from flying fish captures!