Been back on the lakes for half a year and try to get down each Monday and Friday mornings on my days off. I don't visit too much at the weekends as I prefer to walk around when it's quiet. You see more and can chat more with the few other people that are there.
The cygnets number four, from the six that hatched, and they are now two months old. Wings are developing fast as they become a much more recognisable smaller edition of their parents.
The real plus for me this month has been the return of the king fisher. After an absence of four months I finally saw that blue flash a fortnight ago. Since then I have been trying to snap them. Have wanted to use my new (longer) zoom lens on a kingfisher since I bought it, so was delighted to see them back.
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| The blue flash |
It appears we have at least two juveniles, looking at their beaks. I have seen three at once.
The youngsters perch high up in the trees, meaning they are harder to spot initially, but watching the stew ponds you don't have to wait too long before they drop into the water and back to the trees, enabling us to keep an easier eye on them.
I've been practicing, trying to get a water shot, either of them diving in or out. work in progress but got a few I'm pleased with.
Ratty is harder to spot at the moment. They are still in good numbers but with the river banks so overgrown, its harder to see them. Often its only as they swim across the river or eat one of the river plants. Managed to snap one doing just that.
Tried to snap the dragonflies as they bomb around the lakes, that's not easy either!
My first wader at the lakes, a Common Sandpiper flew about for a little while on Friday.
