An early morning trip to Alkborough flats. It was cool and very still with a light mist as I arrived. A Cetti's warbler singing greeted my at the car park. In the approach to Prospect hide several bearded tits were very showy. Reed Warblers and Reed Bunting sung too, but the former stayed well hidden in the reeds.
Male Reed Bunting.
Reed Warbler.
Male Bearded Tit.
I stayed in the hide for about an hour. Not long in and I heard a single 'boom', a bittern? A little later it repeated, two calls this time. It called occasionally but the noise was a bit distant and hard to place from inside the hide. Other than this there was a large flock of Black-tailed godwits, some avocets and many Shelducks in the lagoon. A few Black-headed gulls were about but it was very quiet. Two swifts flew over. Funny to watch a black-headed gull trying to chase one.
Black-tailed godwits.
Greylag family crossing the lagoon.
Shelduck and Avocets.
Grey Heron.
Grey Heron.
I moved on with the hope of seeing the bittern. A birdwatcher had just seen in flying into the reeds. I waited for a while but no luck. A male Marsh Harrier flew over with prey in his talons.
Male Marsh Harrier with prey, looks like a young coot or moorhen.
I carried on with my walk to Trent hide. A number of damselflies near the hide, and also a nnursery web spider,
Pisaura mirabilis, my first this year. The nice surprise was on the way back, when a Whimbrel flew in and fed on the wet grassland.
Singing Reed Bunting.
Greylag geese with a white one.
Azure damselfly.
Blue-tailed Damselfly.
Wet grassland.
Pisaura mirabilis.
Roe deer.
Whimbrel.
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