A misty dawn at RSPB Leighton Moss

One of my favourite reserves to visit is the RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss, near Silverdale in Cumbria, especially at this time of year when the Red Deer that roam the reserve and surrounding conutryside are rutting. So I got up very early Sunday morning for a 5.30am departure from North Wales, arriving up there just after 7am, and safely into the Grisedale Hide with a few other early birds hoping for a good show from the big Stags. Sadly it never happened and the best I got was a bit of a rutting from some younger stags, but they looked amazing across the misty pools at first light.











I just love photographing swans, and when a couple decided to take off from the water, and were coming at my with the rising sun lighting up the background, they looked magical







A big stretch again nicely back lit



Not one of my favourites, but Sharon adores Herons so I was really pleased to get some nice shots for her











I havent seen a Kingfisher at Leighton Moss for a long time, this one was a fair way off in a distant tree, but a record shot nonetheless.



Bye for now, and as usual your feedback and comments are most welcome.

RSPB Conwy and The Great Orme

As Sharon and I were getting over colds a day in the high fells wasnt that appealing, so we decided to head for the coast, and to the RSPB reserve at Conwy, not been here before and although the pools on the reserve were relatively quiet it was a beautiful walk round on a lovely peaceful morning. After lunch, and after treating myself to a new spotting scope in the RSPB shop, and Sharon some new binoculars, we went into Llandudno and up the Great Orme.

early morning Pheasant



Female blackbird feeding on blackberries







Conwy Castle across the reserve



Welsh ponies



The river Conwy estuary



Lovely light on this Mute Swan



A few Egrets out on the water feeding







Juvenile Gull



Conwy Castle



Stonechat female up on the Great Orme



Lots of Kasmir Goats wander across the Great Orme

WWT Martin Mere

One of my favourite places to visit is the Wildfowl and Wetlands trust at Martin Mere, especially in the winter when it is the host of 1000's of Whooper Swans that over winter here before returning to their breeding grounds in Iceland. Sharon has never been so I was really keen to get her there to see these amazing birds, so it was a little disappointing that we were a little early as only a few Whooper families had arrived back. But the visit was still really exciting as we sat and watched 1000's of Pink Footed Geese coming in to land and roost on the Mere after returning from feeding on the surrounding fields. These birds are on a short stop over in Lancashire as they make their way from the arctic to their summer home on the Norfolk coast area.
I also got the opportunity to photograph my favourite Eider ducks and a delightful Mute Swan family who posed lovely and back lit from the setting sun.

A couple of reflective Eiders





A wet Shelduck



One of the first Whooper families to arrive back from Iceland



Another family arriving



Not a lot of room on the crowded Mere