Warnham yet again

After a misty start to the day it quickly brightened up with plenty of small birds around.

It has been a good year at the reserve for lesser redpolls. Forty or more can be seen in the feeding station most mornings.

I know, yet another picture of a water rail. It was within 10 feet of me this morning. It's so used to people that I though I might train it to answer to a whistle.

This yellow hammer turned up with a flock of lesser redpolls. Quite out of character to be in a woodland feeding station, but it fed on the seed for about 5 minutes before being frightened off by the grey squirrels. I have been using this reserve for more than eighteen years and this is my first sighting.

Good Morning at Warnham

Another good morning at Warnham LNR. Plenty of activity with the bird life in pairing and territorial disputes. Nice to see a pair of kingfishers looking sitting together on a branch looking all goo goo at one another. I couldn't get a shot as the hide window was closed and the glass was filthy.

I have been trying to get a shot of a gt.crested grebe running on the water for some time.
I think this one will keep happy for a while.

There seems to be an abundance of small birds in the feeding station this year. Reed buntings
being no exception.

I know its another water rail picture (you must be getting fed up with them) but this one I
couldn't resist showing it. I think it wants to be a balet dancer (note the feet). This is
definately a balet step which I don't know the name of and probably couldn't spell it anyway.

More water rails.

Water rails are supposed to be shy and reclusive birds but this one has got it all wrong. It seems to prefer the company of other creatures including man, adopting a threatening posture when ever anything else gets too close. It is quite happy to stroll around the feeding station in front of woodpecker hide sharing the space with up to 100 other birds and animals. He must have got in the wrong queue when they were giving out personalities. Considering the poor light this morning I was pleased with these pics.

Not in the least bit bothered about how close you are.

Scratching around looking for food just a few feet away.

At one point it was too close for my lens and I had to back off a bit.

Morning at Warnham LNR

A nice bright spring morning just begging for me to take a stroll around Warnham with my camera's.
I was not dissapointed there was plenty of subjects ready to pose for me and some that did not stay around long enough for me to snap. There were plenty of our winter visitors, siskins and redpolls, and many of our residents all happily taking their morning repast.
For my local readers, this evening, just before dusk I took a walk round Chesworth Farm to see if there was any sign of the barn owls. Sorry to say, once again there was not. There is still time so I will keep checking.   

A greater spotted woodpecker takes his place at
the table for breakfast. 



A lesser redpoll looking resplendant in his breeding plumage. 

A male siskin at his best awaiting the passing of a suitable mate.