Grey Herons

Grey Heron in breeding plumage - The bills flushed pink with blood, the bare skin in front of the eye has gone a purple/blue and of course, the rest of the plumage is immaculate


The 'Cheeky Chappie", Great Spotted Woodpecker playing Hide and Seek


Today was another good day, warm and bright with a light breeze, perfect conditions for a scout about. 'Sid' the Stonechat is still in his favoured field and I've named him Sid because he's a bird with attitude and is literally taunting the Sparrowhawks. Life and death in the avian world and he doesn't appear to give a monkeys. The woodpeckers, both Green and Great Spotted are really active now. The Green Woodpeckers laughing call can be heard right across the northern section and gives a clear insight into why the birds old name was 'Yaffle'. The Great Spotted has just started 'drumming' on the old dead tree close to the gas works and this should intensify over the next few weeks. There are normally a couple of Grey Herons along the boardwalk, usually fishing the Biam but today I noticed them performing courtship dances over a period of about an hour. They were also observed checking out the trees in a rather suspicious manner. The nearest Heronry is, as far as I know at Watermead, I'm wondering what I'm seeing could be the beginning of a new one, fingers crossed!