An escort for a fox

 Saturday morning I was on duty at RSPB Blacktoft Sands. I arrived early in order to have enough time to visit each hide before the visitors arrived. As I stopped before the main gates and got out to unlock them, I could hear cranes calling. I quickly looked to my left and saw 8 birds flying, year tick number 183.

These deer were feeding on the vegetation on the dry Ousefleet lagoon. I counted the ducks and little grebes on the water in front of the viewing screen at Ousefleet, before walking to Marshland hide.

Snipe, lapwings, green sandpipers and a single spotted redshank were on the lagoon. Reedling had a similar mix of birds, plus greenshank and black-tailed godwits. 8 little egrets were resting in front of the 1st hide.

As I entered Townend hide I saw a bird on the mud on the left hand side, and decided to identify it after counting the teal. Just as I had finished counting the teal they flew off as a sparrowhawk arrived and landed on the island. I then realised that the bird on the mud was a sparrowhawk and it had been waiting for some young pied wagtails to land on the mud.

The bird was still sitting there when I left to go to Singleton hide. Here I got a nice surprise.

9 spoonbills feeding

Not brilliant picture as the sun shines from the left on a morning . A good start to the day.

Just before  the visitor centre closed, a young heron walked in front of the hide.

 Catherine and I walked down to Singleton hide after the visitor centre closed.. A juvenile spoonbill was still there.

4 spotted redshanks, 1 still in its black summer plumage, 40 plus black-tailed godwits, some like the spotted redshank in summer plumage, plus lots of ducks and little egrets. Then we noticed that the ducks and the egrets were heading towards one part of the reed bed, where they remained still, all looking the same way. After several minutes we understood what was happening, a young fox was coming out of the reed bed.

The ducks and egrets were lined up as if they were escorting the fox across the water.

The fox was finding walking through the water difficult as although it was not deep water its legs were covered in mud, so it was not able to pounce on anything.

The fox eventually reached the other reedbed and walked into it.

31 little egrets stood and watched as it disappeared from view.