With the year nearly a month old, a visit to Lackford Lakes was due, in the hope of seeing flocks of ducks and smaller winter visitors feeding on the trees around the lakes. However, there were no KINGFISHERS, I just had to bring that up if you were expecting loads of photos of them, there was just none present on the reserve.
Drinking coffee in the visitor's centre we were granted good views of two LESSER REDPOLLS and a NUTHATCH on the feeders amongst the commoner tits.
Heading off into the reserve, we rounded the side of the sailing lake, the largest lake in the reserve. Flocks of POCHARD were amongst the commoner ducks. Alas there were no large duck flocks on the reserve, the lakes registering small flocks of TUFTED DUCK, GADWALL and COOT.
Around the sailing lake SISKINS were feeding in the alders emitting a call that kind of sounds like a person sighing.
Eventually the path reached the Slough, and Paul's Hide, probably the best lake in the reserve, a mix of water, muddy areas and reeds.
The Slough
The mix of wildfowl on the reserve was pretty much like this, GADWALL, TUFTED DUCK,GULLS and COOT.
With its muddy areas the Slough had large numbers of TEAL present, with several hundred mixed in with the other wildfowl, as well as a few SHELDUCK. There was a flock of around a hundred LAPWING often seen in flight moving around the reserve.
TEAL mixed in with other waterfowl
From the Slough the path moved east through wet woodland, where a TREECREPER was found. The famous Stump, a fallen tree where tame birds are enticed down by seeds to pose for photos, was next port of call. MARSH TITS, NUTHATCHES, ROBINS, DUNNOCKS and BLACKBIRDS all fed on the stump. However my camera managed to be on the worst settings for small bird photography, and without realising it I had taken a lot of photos of blurred birds. When I got home and discovered this I was absolutely gutted. All I got was a couple of pics of a ROBIN.
Moving on to Bess's Hide overlooking the large Long Reach Lake, not much was present, except two LITTLE GREBES. On these eastern lakes there were around six GOLDENEYES present. On one lake there was a group of two males and two females, the males either fighting each other or throwing their head back in display to the females, aiming their beaks to the skies.
Steggall's Hide, the furthest one, is hexagaonal in shape, providing 360 degree viewing over two lakes, and an area of grass between them.
Not much was present, a pair of WIGEON amongst the normal wildfowl, which shows just how few ducks there were about - just 2 WIGEON on site.
A pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE were present, the male seemed to notice us in the hide and was starting to get very agitated he looked like he was going to start a fight with me.
The cob SWAN was getting very territorial, chasing away all the last year's young, birds he so valiantly defended last summer, now getting kicked out.
A SNIPE was a nice surprise
As usual Lackford Lakes was very solid, providing a good range of birds without providing anything spectacular. The small amounts of duck present was a concern, but could have derived from the warm winter we have had so far. Still its a good reserve to go birding and maybe if I get my camera settings right I'll get some decent photos next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment