Red-neck

Dull, chilly and windy today. But at least there was a let up in the showers, enough to tempt me out to Watermead CP North to see if I could manage a snap of a Red-necked Phalarope that turned up yesterday and was still present this morning. I did, but it was not easy with the conditions and the fact that most of the time when it was in view it was too close!

It spent most of its time feeding very close to the shoreline, but it was gradually working northwards and kept disappearing behind reeds and in amongst overhanging trees before popping up again in the next open bay. At one point it suddently decided to head out into the open water, and then had a brief fly about heading back south. It was not high so I doubted it had gone, but after half an hour of searching the southern end there was no sign - only for it to pop back up again on the bank-side of one of the bays.

Here's a few shots. I have many more that are no good for one reason or another - but mainly due to the bird being active and being moved about by the wind at the same time so lots of out of focus or half-a-bird shots.

One travelling lister shows how hard it was to socially distance from the bird.

The bird is also in this phone snap of the statue of a King Lear scene.

Other birds included a superb Hobby, a Little Egret, loads of House Martins and Swifts with fewer Sand Martins, Common Terns and a few singing warblers. There were plenty of damsleflies sheltering from the wind in the reeds too. Apart from the phalarope though, I didn't point the camera at much else.

Great Crested Grebes

Amphibious Bistort

WCPS

Nipped out today over to Watermead CP South for a quick walk around - haven't been there for a fair while. Weather was not great, one of those days when nice warm sunshine gives way to showers very quickly and you don't know which way it will go when you're furthest from the car.

I paid some attention to the flora, mainly looking at the stuff growing in and at the edge of the River Soar. Managed to find some common plants that I've ignored previously .....

Marsh Woundwort

Unbranched Bur-reed, flowering albeit on the far bank.

I also found Branched Bur-reed that had gone over.

Arrowhead

I didn't bother with the net as I was trying to concentrate on the plants, but a few inverts were obvious like the Myathropa florea that landed on me, loads of mating Harlequin Ladybirds, good numbers of patroling Brown and Southern Hawkers, a Broad-bodied Chaser and a few Banded Demoiselles and Common Darters.

Spot the Southern Hawker

I also lifted my bins to a few birds for a change, with House Martins and Swallow zooming about all over the place and several bright juv Chiffchaffs. Most of the wildfowl was actually tame but very foul, and there were few gulls to scrutinise. At least two noisy humbugs were poncing about on the water, and a Grey Heron stayed put for the camera for a change (in dense shade ...).

Great Crested Grebe

Grey Heron

Thornton Reservoir - 29/04/2008

A very brief, slightly chilly and dully lit post-work visit to Thornton Res was almost entirely uneventful. There was loads of House Martins, Swallows and a few Sand Martins but none were photographable as they zoomed about. The wagtail field was pretty quiet - just the one Yellow and a handful of Pieds. I was going to walk further round the reservoir, but decided I really couldn't be arsed.


After a busy day, I can do without the incessant 'pink pink' calls of Chaffinches!


Synchronised preening.