A female Redstart in the New Forest. I did spot some Male birds but did not get any photos. The male bird is more striking and more colourful
Redstart.
birds
Chats.
Male Stonechat New Forest.
By the sea.
An evening watching the sea from Meon Shore.
A Great black-backed gull on the beach.
Siege.
I try and get out in the environment not only is it physical exercise it is mental exercise. I always take a camera with me I never know what I will see on my trips out. A couple of times a week I go to the coast on Southampton Water. There were 3 Grey Heron fishing together at the Haven this morning. The 1st 5 pictures are of an adult bird the other pictures show young immature birds probably born last year.
The collective noun for Herons is a ‘siege‘,
Heron eat, lots of fish and eels, but also small birds such as ducklings, small mammals like voles and amphibians.
7 UP.
Not the well-known fizzy drink but the number of relatively newly hatched Mute Swan cygnets on Hatchet Pond in the New Forest.
I will say no more and let the photographs do the speaking – the only words I could find were ” just so cute.”
Cuckoo.
Wordless Wednesday.
The return of the terns.
Common Terns have returned to the Solent and Southampton Water in the past week – I always look forward to their arrival and their numbers are increasing daily as they reach our shores from Africa. My 1st pictures this year which I am very pleased with. I have until September to practise when they will again leave.
A Sunday Stroll.
A plant that favours the Water Meadow is The Milkmaid, a member of the mustard family it is also known as the lady’s smock or Cuckoo flower. The flowers; colour can vary from pale lilac to white. A food plant for the Orange-tip butterfly caterpillars – this female Orange-tip had found the Milkmaid flowers.
Today’s lucky spot was some Slow Worms. Mistaken by many for a snake Slow worms are legless lizards.
A female Blackbird.
More grebe pictures.
“Tree duck”.
What is odd about Mandarin ducks? They nest in trees often high above the water. Two drakes spotted today but no female ! not even up in the trees so they must be well camouflaged.
The Mallards on the pond were not amused!
Continued Reflections from my World. 