If you are a regular follower you may well recall this view of the causeway between the two basins at Staines Reservoir taken on a damp cold day in mid March when I explained the virtues of this site as a 'Birding Hotspot'.
During the last six weeks this site has continued to play host to a varied array of visiting species so with much better weather I paid a return visit on Monday morning.
As you can see (below) the view hasn't changed very much; the pathway has been cleared and the view looks far more inviting under a cloudy blue sky; except there is far less water in the previously drained north basin.
Unfortunately the one drawback of visits on such a calm warmer day is the volume of black flies everywhere!
Whilst these can be an irritating but harmless nuisance they do attract certain species including good numbers of Pied Wagtails and during this visit I also found a White Wagtail plus five Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava) in various plumages enjoying this bountiful supply of insects.
Other species spied far out on the drained north basin included a single Whimbrel (a first for my County list), two Little Egrets, Dunlin (7), Lapwing, Common and Arctic Terns plus Shelduck and a few Wigeon.
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| Yellow and Pied Wagtail. |
Some fifty feet beyond the fence I also spotted two Northern Wheatear and somehow managed to capture this image (above) of one of them just about to grab a tiny mid morning snack.
I was told by a fellow birder that this basin might not be refilled until the Autumn and providing some water remains it will be interesting to see what else turns up here over the coming months. FAB.
Linking to Good Fences and I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'.
The Black flies sound awful. I love the pretty Yellow Wagtail, gorgeous bird. Great post, have a happy day!
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see these beautiful birds. Especially the bright yellow color is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteoh, my! i really thought those were flocks of birds in flight - flies!!! yikes! love the wheatear shot! awesome! thanks, frank, for the fencery!
ReplyDeleteMaximum points for the joyfully leaping hungry wheatear!
ReplyDeleteOh my such art for my eyes this morning! That gorgeous little yellow bird, the sky and clouds and nature at a perfect pace.
ReplyDeleteNothing worse when birding at this time of year than all those midges. Great pictures though Frank. A really cracking Yellow Wag and super shot of the Wheatear fly catching.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the birds just have to open their bills and the insects will fly right in! Sounds perfect.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos. You did great with all the captures. I love the little bird.
ReplyDeleteNice views, Frank. I enjoyed seeing those Wagtails.
ReplyDeleteThat is a greeast shot on the fence of the Yellow Wagtail and I love the last shot.
ReplyDeleteBonito reportaje Frank, me ha gustado mucho. Saludos desde España.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great capture of the Wheatear catching it's snack.
ReplyDeleteMy there are a lot of flies there for sure. I would think that would be annoying. It looks like a nice place though to view different birds.
Great wheatear image!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely little birds.
ReplyDeleteHi, These are some interesting photos and a good link up with Good Fences. It does look like the black flies add a bit of challenge to this location for bird watching. I spite of that you got some neat photos. Thank you for your kind comment on my April Photos post.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! My favorites are photo 3 and 5, lovely!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend.
greetings Maria
Love the amazing birds! The pied and yellow wagtails are stunning, as is the last bird....those black flies are horrendous! Glad someone is eating them!
ReplyDeleteI do like how you got the bird catching his snack. Black flies, wow what a shot.
ReplyDeleteGreat , enjoyed seeing all of your photos.
betsy
Some great shots, especially the Northern Wheatear. Warm temperatures have arrived here too and with good weather biting insects become a bit of a nuisance. It's a small price to pay, however, for the daily increase in avian abundance.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! I especially like the yellow bird.
ReplyDeleteWow that is a lot of black flies, love the yellow bird and the views are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI get the same fly problem when I visit Covenham reservoir.
ReplyDeleteNow that is a new one for me....I've not heard of a yellow wagtail...pretty!!!! Very pretty. As are your others shared today.
ReplyDeleteI quite like the minimalist first picture. So many migrant birds in one day .... At least a couple here I hadn't even heard of before. It would be heaven to bird there, especially if I had an expert leader.
ReplyDeleteseems like a beautiful place with great birding. And not only waterfowl :)
ReplyDelete