Moore Reserve

A chilly visit to Moore Reserve.

Moore reserve route

Spent hours in the first hide by Lapwing Lake waiting for Kingfishers to land nearby. A few brief glimpses and a couple of OK shots but I'm still kicking myself for missing the one that landed on the perfect rush head right by the hide, just after I said "It would be perfect if one landed on that rush but that'll never happen" or words to that effect. Maybe next time!

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Little Grebe

Great-crested Grebe

Freiston Shore

Some fresh air and exercise before turkey-time. No shortage of fresh air, blowing a gale up on the sea walls.

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwits getting excitable around a Black-headed Gull

Little Grebe

Flock of Curlew

Big flock of ducks

Little Egret

Moore Reserve

A sunny, frosty morning so a quick trip to Moore Reserve to brush the cobwebs off our birding gear. Lots of lovely sun but most of it low and shaded by all the trees so the reserve was quite dim. First hide full of photographers (only place with any sun) and no room left. They stayed there all day. Getting a little fed up of the sheer number of photographers around these days, ironic as that may be. Feeding station in deep shade so didn't wait for very long. Lots of gulls on the main lagoon, and a trio of Little Grebe feeding in front. Water Rail seen later on a little island before zipping off into the reeds.

Gulls in a flap about something

Little Grebe with fish

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Tufted Duck

Moore & Moore

Two trips to Moore Reserve, a week apart. The first week heavily overcast, freezing cold (forgetting our waterproof trousers we ended up shivering under our groundsheet during lunch). The Lesser-spotted Woodpecker was showing and drumming quite regularly but never coming close enough for a good shot and in terrible light.
Trying again a week later we had much cleared skies, proper clothing and crowds of twitchers trying to see the LSW. Which never showed up all day. I think it just stayed away because of all the people *grumble*.
There were also a pair of juvenile Iceland Gulls (which had flown by the time we got there) and a female Smew (too far away and in failing light to get good shots). Hence only a few, poor shots, but at least we got some exercise.

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker

Great-spotted Woodpecker

Robin

Grey Squirrel

Great-spotted Woodpecker

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker

Great-spotted Woodpecker

Little Grebe

Shoveler

Goldcrest

Plane climbing from Liverpool Airport