Pied Flycatcher

A turn of the head and all the previous images from the burst were deleted, Pied Flycatchers are back in town. Just two were seen on Friday, more to come?

The ladies will also be arriving shortly...

There's Gold in them thar hills!

The Thresholds area has been producing good numbers of Golden Plover all winter and numbers seem to be building up - there were an estimated 118, this evening. What an appropriate field too, recently treated prior to being ploughed, there's Gold in them thar hills!

Easily spooked, they were hunkered down and from a distance, well camouflaged against the yellowed grasses!

A couple of males gradually at ease...

Then before long, walking and feeding, female here...

But the males dominated the show and caught most of my attention!

I caught a flash of red on the leg of this male and realised he was wearing a ring!

A darvic ring (S94) over a plain red colour ring...

I'm still awaiting feedback on the history of this bird (hence the delay in sorting) but will add to the post once I get a reply from the ringing coordinator...

Venus Pool - Shoveler time

The pool is still not delivering much in the way of waders and other than a distant Osprey (seen twice), I haven't had much to show for time spent there. Gorgeous light today however so I thought I'd single out the drake Shovelers for attention, lots of action, they were looking quite smart and there were droplets too!

The Red Arrows will be be troubled by their more random flight display formation?

The most useful bill in duckland?

Paddle-by reflections...

And a bit of a preen...

Then there had to be droplets?

And just showing off by diving!

What happened next?

Yes you guessed it!

Normal birding will be resumed in due course...

Ellesmere - Little Gull spectacular!

It was always on the cards, with Little Gulls dropping in at stillwaters all over the country! Sadly I was busy giving a talk the previous evening when Rob Dowley found a respectable magnificent seven on the Mere!
I didn't manage a dawn start but there was not a gull in sight when I arrived at the Mere just before 8.00am! Then a flock of c100 gulls suddenly appeared in view over the water from the southern end - 93% Black-heads and yessss, the other 7% were Little Gulls :-) They briefly landed together - well, birds of a feather and all that!

The light was challenging but I could see there were photo possibilities over by the park and had a stroll. They were occasionally being hassled by immature gulls but easily outmanoeuvred them!

A 'near miss'!

And whilst not exactly close, a few keepers made it all worthwhile...

They were continuously picking up small insects off the water...

Or in the air!

The most appealing images seemed to come after a catch - droplets!!

You just gotta love Little Gulls, we them so infrequently, they are special inland birds and you gotta love droplets... I watched them for two hours with not another birder in sight...
Geoff Holmes has been doing some digging and it looks like this will become a joint record? Seven were on the mere on 8th April 1996, 23 years to the day. Six were on the Mire lake on April 17th 2009.

Wood Lane - Aberrant BHG

A short visit with c300 noisy Black-headed Gulls for company. I scanned through every individual hoping for a Med Gull and cam across this bizarre aberrant BHG. Sadly, it was only to be in view for less than 30 seconds!! All parts of the plumage (except the head) were pristine pure white, reminiscent of a Med but with a pale brownish head and structurally, a BHG. Apart from the head and pale eye, leucistic but not 100% so. Annoyingly it was right at the back of the spit so I couldn't see the rear end...

Suddenly the whole flock lifted off revealing pure white wings and tail (except for brownish wash to the underwing). Partially leucistic indeed and with showy bright red bill and legs!

John Reeves had seen (presumably) the same bird on the Mere that morning! It's a gull worth keeping an eye out for. I've see a 100% leucistic BHG at VP years ago but this is even more interesting and shame it didn't reappear for more pics. Keep an eye out for it!!

Venus Pool - Common Snipe

With brief views of a rather tatty Osprey Thurs and Fri, I was hoping for an photo opportunity? It was not to be, no waders or Terns but a very showy Snipe bobbed mimicking a Jack, then strutted his way, into the frame...

Here's the strut...

Then settling into the vegetation...

A flash of the spread tail will do nicely!

Two House Martins on Friday, Willow Warbler singing and showing near the disabled CP today, spring is springing...

Venus Pool - Waders!

I joined Clive and Rob in the main hide for the first (reported) bit of wader passage? Lovely conditions with rain, sleet and hail... Four small waders were seen flying in but only three ended up being visible (2 Ringed Plovers and 1 LRP)

Sadly they were all to fly off within 10 mins but at least there's hope with water levels dropping!

One of the Ringed Plovers...

The LRP passing by...

We never did see the mysterious '4th wader'! Occasionally distracted by the 'obliging' local Kestrel...

Becoming enthused with the prospect of more action soon?