Today there was a stiff breeze so it was good to sit in the hides at the
SOS Venus Pool Reserve with the sun behind me giving good light for photos. Here is a selection.
There are usually many geese here, with Canada Geese usually outnumbering Greylag Geese. One of the former arrives from an adjacent field. This one seems unusually quiet....
..unlike this pair, the larger male leading the way.
The water-level was very high. Perhaps this had something to do with there being a preponderance of Shovelers. Here a drake is in need of a handkerchief.
Unusually the way this drake had folded its wings allowed part of the blue in the forewing to be glimpsed. It is usually only seen in flight.
A duck giving me a funny look. The bill is an adaptation for filter-feeding.
A fine pair.
A fairly typical view of Shovelers, heads underwater; using their bills to sieve morsels dredged up from the bottom by their spinning action.
A pair of Eurasian Wigeon take to the air, the drake in the lead. Their pale bellies are a good way to identify this species when seen in flight even at a distance.
And here landing rather a long way away. Note the large white area on the drake's forewings and also his rather pointed tail.
Teal are dainty ducks. A distant drake arrives. Note the broad white area in front of the green speculum at the back of the wing and a very thin white trailing edge to the inner wing.
Two Oystercatchers announced their presence with their piping calls. The nearer bird looks slightly brown-tinged on its back and has the faint remnants of a white chinstrap suggesting it is a first year bird.
The orange bill and red eye gives the identity away as one of the two birds disappears in its bath.
A very enthusiastic bath at that. It was just too far away for me to attempt a video of this action. The camera has more 'reach' in photo mode.
There is always time to visit the woodland feeder to photograph the engaging Blue Tits.
Mr. Angry. They must have very flexible joints to sit like this.
And Long-tailed Tits. I seem to have brought my twig to put in the foreground!
Look: twig gone!
Probably highlight of the visit was this fine male Brambling. The white fringes to the feathers the head and nape are still to wear off. These areas will become jet black by the end of April. His preferred perch had shadows of branches waving across him in the breeze. Not too conspicuous here.
I don't normally photograph birds at feeders but there was no other way to show the orange shoulder flash and the back markings.
The supporting cast at the feeders included this fine female Greenfinch with the sun lighting up the delicate flammulations on her chest and belly.
Much more brightly marked is this handsome male Greenfinch.
Just as I was leaving I noted a small flock of fierce-looking Fieldfares in an adjacent field. These shy birds like open country in winter where they can see danger approaching. They can be hard to photograph.
An unwelcome low-flying helicopter – at least by the ducks which scattered in all directions. It is ZM514, a Eurocopter EC135 T3H. These are designated by the UK Military as Juno HT1. It is one of 30 or so based at RAF Shawbury flying as No. 1 Flying Training School (1 FTS) to train aircrew for the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force.
(Ed Wilson)
