A Lazy Summer's Day at Lackford Lakes - 11/5/2017

This great picture of a KINGFISHER was taken from a pond overlooked by the Lackford Lakes visitor centre. The KINGFISHERS were nesting in a hole in a concrete structure right beside, and they would pose on this branch, which gave them a vantage point to fish, and to allow themselves to be photographed. It was possibly the best introduction to bird photography my new camera could ask for.
But alas, from this high the rest of the reserve was not going to live up to these expectations. Although there were lots of birds around, it was really a settling down for the Summer, a time when most birds aren't going to wander far from their nests.
Apart from the KINGFISHER the other good bird of the day was a HOBBY that flew around the middle lakes, a dark falcon with distinctive red legs, which it uses to catch dragonflies.
Another fairly unusual bird was a male RED CRESTED POCHARD.

Small numbers of wildfowl were present, mainly TUFTED DUCK, with some GADWALL, and one male SHOVELLER, which may mean a female is somewhere incubating. EGYPTIAN GEESE were everywhere, with two broods present.

EGYPTIAN GEESE fighting over territory on the Slough

 



 SWANS were present on all the lakes, but only one was nesting, here on a tern raft.

 

 

In fact all the rafts put out to attract TERNS to nest had been commandeered by other species, apart from the SWAN, lots of GULLS were using them as well as a nesting GREAT CRESTED GREBE.

 



One of the tern rafts commandeered by GULLS and a nesting GREBE on the very left

 

 

In fact there were only a pair of COMMON TERN on the reserve.

 

There were two pairs of OYSTERCATCHER present and one LAPWING, but not much else.

 

 

 

View over the Slough, the best lake for birds

 

As reflects an area of overgrown marshy woodland there were lots and lots of small birds present. CETTI'S WARBLER exploded with song from almost every bush. There were CHIFFCHAFFS, WILLOW WARBS, BLACKCAP, GRADEN WARBS and REED WARBS all creating a peaceful ambience to the reserve with their assortment of different songs.

A CUCKOO was singing from behind the lakes, with a possible second calling at the far end of the reserve. A pair of MARSH TIT were in the main woodland block and a GREY WAGTAIL was on the kingfisher pond.

 

So although  nothing unusual was present, and everything was settling down for the breeding season, it was still a good day. As with all good places, the number and quality of birds remain high even in a quiet season. On such a warm day, with the bird song and the fresh scent of lush vegetation it was all a sensual high.