Martin Mere

An early look around Martin Mere, to stretch the legs after Christmas and stock up on bird food and a nest box. Nothing much about worth photographing in the harsh sunlight but the usual array of geese and swans were on the mere.

Whooper Swan

Mallard

Flying Whooper Swan family

We finally got a willing subject right at the end in the car park. A little too much sun on its white breast but well take what we can get.

Cheeky Black-headed Gull in car park

Black-headed Gull on car roof

Black-headed Gull on car roof

Freiston Shore

Stretching our legs and burning off a few mince pies. Pretty cold, breezy and muddy after all the rain. Mallard, Widgeon, Black-headed Gulls and Redshanks all paddling around in the waterlogged grass.

Mute Swan splashing down

Black-headed Gull

Carrying on round to the sea wall we spotted a young Great-crested Grebe, seemingly stuck in the mud, struggling and trying to clean itself. After watching for a while I attempted to get down to it (on very slippery mud) but it then decided it wasn't stuck after all and zipped over to the other bank. After moving away it returned to its original spot and carried on with its strange routine. Very odd but nothing we could do.

"Squidgy" the Great-crested Grebe

The sun was getting low so we waited around for ages to see if we could get a nice sunset like the other day (no) or if the geese would give us a fly-over (no). We settled for some abstract clouds and flocking birds instead.

Flying Widgeon

Flocks of birds

Sunset behind clouds

Sunset behind clouds