A family of mute swans swam, along in single file
Stuart spotted a cuckoo in a bush to our right.
His vido on X is much better than my photo
(@RapsonStuart)
A kingfisher flew across the water, carrying food to its young. A large brood of gadwall ducklings, which for a time mother let swim about on their own. Luckily when she re-joined them there were still 11 of them.
A female tufted duck did not let her 5 black off spring out of her sight.
This is the view we had from Swantail Hide.
There were no birds on the patch of open water. Over to the right, cormorants were sitting on fence posts and Stuart located teal. A chap, carrying some poles walked across the reserve, it looked as if he could have been going to Storwood.
We walked back along the path to the car park and saw whitethroat, sedge warbler and the swallows that were nesting in the tower hide. I also managed to see my first garden warble of the year, tick number 171.
We ended our visit by visiting the two hides at Bank Island.
A marsh harrier disturbed the lapwings and redshanks as it flew over the open stretch of water
We visited the second hide and watched as the 2 pairs of common terns chased away crows and then the marsh harrier when it appeared, and one was dive bombing a pheasant!
We only saw 2 young tern chicks today, I hope that the other was in the long grass.
A pleasant morning with excellent company.
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