Leap year day birding, or the correct way to eat fish!

I decided to go out birding, even though the weather forecast was not brilliant.
In the end the weather was not as bad as I had expected.
I went to North Cave Wetlands, an apt name in the current weather!

It was certainly welly weather

As it was raining I parked outside South Hide and joined other birders, They were hoping to find the green winged teal, but without any luck.
The rain stopped so I ventured out and decided to walk around the reserve in the hope of seeing a brambling and a siskin, but no luck.
Crossland Hide was my last stop. On my last visit I was lucky enough to see a scaup and a male pochard close to the hide. Today it was a great crested grebe that chose to fish near the hide. The following photos show how it dealt with the fish.

I then went to the "Wild Bird Cafe" for a cup of tea, after which I walked around the reserve again as the sun was now shining.
Outside the Turret hide teal were sleeping.

black headed gulls were starting to occupy nesting sites

a few curlew were sheltering from the wind

tree sparrows were busy on the feeders

a rook watched from the fence

Back in Crosslands hide and a male gadwall was close to the hide

about 40 redshanls were on the bank

I decided to leave and go home via North Duffield Carrs. The last time I was here the River Derwent was flowing over part of the bank onto the reserve. The river level has dropped a bit, but there is still a lot of water and the birds have few bits of dry land to feed on.

 A wren was in front of the hide

A pleasant days birding.