Mute Swans courtship & mating. Wadebridge, Cornwall 23rd March 2020

 When I first saw this pair of swans they were well into their courtship so I didn't have time to change the big 500mm lens and just had to go with it and get some close ups.

It all started quite romantically & ended the same with just the actual mating process looking a bit violent but anyone who has seen a female mallard being seduced by about 10 drakes then this was quite placid!

They do seem to have very discoloured heads and necks possibly due to iron ore in the water, not sure, but we do see it commonly on swans and they seem to suffer no ill effects.

Little Egret on the marshes this afternoon. 16th March 2020

After several fruitless hours sitting in the marsh I finally got lucky when I spotted this Little Egret flying toward me.

I managed to lock the focus onto him and he then spent a few minutes hunting unsuccessfully in front of my camera.

I'm thinking this might be my favoured "self-isolation" place for the next few months if this virus panic continues.

Hen Harrier "ringtail" at Walmsley sanctuary, Wadebridge 3rd March 2020.

This cracking "ringtail" Hen Harrier was quartering the marshes this afternoon, often in good light.

It put all the birds to flight other than the Canada Geese & the Spoonbill who all treated it with indifference.

There was one at the reserve a few days ago but this one looks to be a different bird but maybeI'm just seeing it in the sunshine for a change!

Anyway here are a few more photos of it hunting at the sanctuary today.

Curlews at Walmsley sanctuary, Wadebridge this afternoon. Tues 11th Feb 2020.

There's been good numbers of Curlew wintering in the sanctuary & on the Amble marshes this winter.
About 150 most days and this afternoon they were really active amongst the hail storms when the sun lit up the reserve.

Here are a few images I captured from the hide.

Redshank displaying today on the River Camel .... 29th Jan 2020

I watched these Redshank having a bit of a tussle from a distance today.

I'm not sure if it was true aggression or even courtship.

Whatever it was they put on quite a show... I only wish they'd been a tad closer for photography.

Birds on the River Camel today ...... 29th Jan 2020.

Black-tailed Godwit

A couple of hours spent along the banks of the River Camel yielded a few nice images.

A Black-tailed Godwit had been spending a few weeks upstream of the town bridge along with a dozen or so Lapwings.

Down on the mudflats a Whooper Swan is wintering alongside our resident Mute Swans.

Little Egrets were feeding on the mud as the tide dropped.

Lapwing

 

Mute Swans either side of a Whooper Swan

Black-tailed Godwit

Little Egret

Black-tailed Godwit