2 Feb 22

Lodmoor RSPB Reserve

Having dropped David off at College, I headed off to Lodmoor for my Wednesday walk around the reserve. Main highlights were 1 Great White Egret, 2 Redshank, a Marsh Harrier and some very friendly Robins.

Mammals Recorded:
Bunny


Birds Recorded:
1 Little Grebe
Cormorant
1 Great White Egret
3 Little Egret
5 Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
Teal
Shoveler
Tufted Duck
1 Marsh Harrier
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Lapwing
9 Dunlin
1 Ruff
Snipe
2 Redshank
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
1 Stonechat
Blackbird
Cetti's Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
Bearded Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Wren
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Bullfinch
Reed Bunting

Species Recorded: 50

One of the three Little Egrets I saw today. Unfortunately the Great White Egret showed itself briefly as it flew from one lagoon to another, which was surrounded by reeds.

A Grey Heron waits patiently for a "meal" to pass it by.

Two Shelduck on the bank with a pair of Shovelers and a drake Teal on the water.

I'm not sure what scared them, but the Shelduck took off pretty smartish and disappeared to the other end of the reserve.

Five drake Tufted Ducks and a female on the right.

A few of the 200+ Lapwing flying over the reserve.

Here are few coming into land.

A few were quite close in, so giving me an opportunity to take a few photos close-up.

Lapwings, 2 Shelduck, 2 Coots and a few Starlings

One of the nine Dunlin feeding in the shallows.

Here are two Snipe and a female Teal on the right. The second Snipe is well camouflaged.

And another Snipe further out in open water.

A Herring Gull which I believe is a 2nd Winter.

Right what have we here. Well there are 4 Lapwing, an adult Winter Black-headed Gull in the centre, whilst at the rear we have and adult Mediterranean Gull on the right and a 2nd Winter Mediterranean Gull on the left.

Someone once told me Common Gulls are not very common nowadays. Not at Lodmoor it appears, with at least 17 in this photo with a couple of Black-headed Gulls and a 1st Winter Herring Gull

An unusual sight in Winter, two Robins together!!! Even though Robins are very territorial at their Winter Residence, they do pair up late December early January, so not that unusual.

Lodmoor is a pretty good place for finches especially Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Bullfinches like this female picking off the buds on this tree.


General Shots:

There has been a lot of work on the reserve, with reedbeds cleared and stacked up.

Not that easy to see, but those stacks above have been burnt to the ground. Judging by how many stacks are left, plus hundreds of others not in view, its going to take awhile to get rid of them.


Ted:

Spot the difference between Ted and this............

...................Robin.


Answer: The Robin is closer to me than Ted. In fact the Robins on the reserve are remarkably tame, including this one next to my foot.