On this day, prompted by a report of a sighting of Avocet on the dam at Thornton Reservoir, which is about 12 miles (19 km) from our home, and it being forecast for dry, if a little misty, weather, that is where I decided to go after lunch.
I arrived at the main car park to find two birders present, including 'Mr Thornton Reservoir' Andy Smith. The water close to the car park contained a number of birds and I photographed a Great Crested Grebe before looking for the Avocet.
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| Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) - Thornton Reservoir |
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The Avocet was against the dam, and very distant, but was kindly pointed out to me and shown to me through a 'scope. I did take some record shots, one of which (very heavily cropped and enhanced to reduce the effect of the mist) is shown below.
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Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) - Thornton Reservoir
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I had another objective for this visit, and that was to get some exercise. The path round the reservoir is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in length and I was decided to take this in an anti-clockwise direction. Before setting off, I took a few shots of Black-headed Gull.
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Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) - Thornton Reservoir
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From the car park, we'd observed a photographer leaning over the wall directly opposite the Avocet. I was not at all comfortable with that, but I did want a better shot, so I continued past until I got to the control block well past the bird, and took my shots from there. The one below is still heavily cropped, but better shows the bird.
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| Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) - Thornton Reservoir |
The first half of my circum-perambulation was very uneventful, with only a Mallard being photographed. They might be our most common duck, but there's no denying that the drake is a very handsome bird
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Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) (male) - Thornton Reservoir
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At the half-way mark, I found that someone had placed some seed on a post and fence. This was attracting birds from the adjacent woodland.
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Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) - Thornton Reservoir
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Great Tit (Parus major) Thornton Reservoir
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Continuing my circuit, before reaching the car park, I took a few more photos.
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| Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - Thornton Reservoir |
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Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) - Thornton Reservoir
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On arrival back at the car park I found a gentleman who was just finishing putting food out for the waterfowl. This had attracted a whole bunch of ducks, geese, and gulls. I didn't take much notice, wanting to check on whether the Avocet was still showing. It was and, yet again, a photographer was leaning over the wall directly adjacent to the bird.
I was about to go to my car and head home when I noticed a Mandarin was amongst the throng of birds attracted to the deployed food. How did I manage to miss it until then?!
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| Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) (male) - Thornton Reservoir |
Thus ended my visit and this blog post which is somewhat shorter than my usual offering.
Until the next time, please take good care of yourselves and Nature. Thank you for dropping by - - - Richard
Beautiful photos Richard. My surgery was a complete shoulder prothese right side. Have a nice evening.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Caroline. Now I fully understand why your activities are currently limited, and I wish you a very speedy recovery. I hope that you have a comfortable and interesting week ahead.
DeleteBest wishes - - - Richard
Hi Richard
ReplyDeleteFantastic birding you took, and the Avocet and caught the Mandarin Duck, beautiful series.
It was a very enjoyable visit, Bob, and it gave me a bit of exercise too - just what I needed!
DeleteBest wishes - stay safe - - - Richard
Hello Richard,
ReplyDeleteThe avocet could have come a little closer to you, but that's nature - the animals don't do what we expect. The mandarin duck looks great.
Greetings Frank
It would have been good if the Avocet had come closer, Frank, but I was happy enough to just see it as it is not often that I see this species. Hopefully I will re-connect with some in the summer if all goes according to plan.
DeleteBest wishes - - - Richard
Hello Richard :=)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your understanding comment. It was much appreciated. Better luck next time with the Avocet, but you took many lovely shots of the other birds. The Nuthatch is a favourite, the Moorhen, and lastly the exquisite Mandarin Duck.
My best wishes
Sonjia..
Thank you, Sonjia - as mentioned to Frank, above, it was a great pleasure to see the Avocet, even if I could not get a closer view.
DeleteEven though they are a realatively common bird, I always get excited when I see a Nuthatch. THe Manadarin Duck was the icing on the cake.
Best wishes - take good care and get well soon - - - - Richard
Richard enhorabuena por el avistamiento y por el reportaje, he pasado un rato agradable viendo las fotos. Un abrazo desde España.
ReplyDeleteGracias por tus amables palabras, Germán. Me alegra que hayas disfrutado de mis fotos.
DeleteMis mejores deseos desde Inglaterra - - - Richard
You are on form today, Richard, and I am singing along with you, a little off key perhaps, but you can’t have everything. Better off key than off colour. The Mandarin would probably be in a real snit if it knew it had almost been overlooked for a mere Avocet. Maybe I have mentioned this before but I have a book entirely devoted to Mandarin and Wood Duck; both spectacular and always worthy of attention. I needs must go, I can tarry no longer, but damn you I will be singing this ditty in my head all day! Best wishes to you and the missus - David
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if anyone would understand the derivation of the title of this post (which I put in for a bit of a lark), and I see that you have, David. I'll have to think of some other item from my childhood which will purge your head of that one - sorry!
DeleteI think that you have previously mentioned that volume on Mandarin and Wood Duck. I have only seen Wood Duck twice in my life, and one of those times was in 2019 on that same reservoir! Being rather unfamiliar with Wood Duck, my initial brief reaction on seeing that Mandarin was that it was the Wood Duck again.
My best wishes to you both - - - Richard
Late on duty for my visit to the Occasional Ramblings of Richard Peglar. By something of a coincidence I found colour marked Avocet today, the bird had visited Alkborough Flats, Alkborough, Linc's after it left the Lune Estuary in July 2021.
ReplyDeleteRegards...Pete.
It's always facinating to be able to read a ringed/flagged bird, Pete, and trace its movements over the the years, particularly when the bird has enjoyed a long life. However, it's rarely that I manage to read rings as I never carry a 'scope.
DeleteBest wishes to you both - - - Richard
Any day one sees an Avocet is a good day.
ReplyDeleteThe Nuthatch is really handsome and the Great Tit evokes fond memories of our balcony feeder overflowing with the colorful birds when we lived in Germany. All the images seem to bring up a memory.
I am in the same predicament as David. You have infected me with an earworm that Gini will soon ask me to quit humming.
We hope you and Lindsay are approaching mid-week in good shape. All is good here.
Please apologise to Gini on my behalf, Wally, if I have caused her any aural distress. I promise to try and avoid such discomfort in the future. I hope that the memories of your time in Germany that this post stirred up will compensate for any discord I instigated.
DeleteCurrently, I think that Lindsay is in better shape than I am - I'll probably touch on that in my next blog post, although nothing to worry about.
Best wishes to you both - - - Richard
Me encantó tu paseo, vistes aves muy bonitas. Me alegra que Lindsay se esté recuperando bien y espero que todo esté también bien para ti. Te dejo abrazos.
ReplyDeleteGracias Teresa. Me complace decir que el futuro parece prometedor tanto para Lindsay como para mÃ.
DeleteMis mejores deseos - - - Richard
Hello Richard, that was great birding with these wonderful birds. The Avocet is such a beautiful bird. The photo of the Great Crested Grebe is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHope you and Lindsay are doing ok.
Have a great Easter time.
Roos
Thank you, Roos. Lindsay and I are doing fine. I hope that you have a super Easter too.
DeleteMy very best wishes - - - Richard
Lovely photos, Richard. I really liked the Mandarin duck even though they're not native, they really are majestic birds. I won't go birdwatching any time soon as my daughter was born last Saturday and I must focus on my duties as a husband and father haha.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes from rainy Spain.
Congratulations to you and your wife on the birth of a daughter, Guillermo. I hope she follows in her father's footsteps with a love of Nature.
DeleteMandarin Duck, although not native, is now well-established with a breeding population in UK, and can often be seen in good numbers.
Best wishes to you and the family - Happy Easter - - - - Richard