Couple of hours at RSPB Rye Meads. 19.04.14

An afternoon visit to Rye Meads added one more to my year list as a pair of garganey were showing very poorly on the open reed bed opposite the Tern and Gadwall Hides. It took much searching to find them and this was the best photo I could manage, but the drake was seen, briefly, to confirm the species.

Pair of garganey: honest!!

Other birds of note were kingfisher from the Kingfisher Hide where also this pair of kestrels were seen as well as one of many reed buntings.

male kestrel

female kestrel

reed bunting

Around the reserve was the continual call of both black headed gulls and numerous cetti's warblers. Blackcaps, willow warblers, whitethroats, chiffchaffs and dunnocks were all calling from the willows. Eventually, I ran out of time as the reserve closes at 5. This was before I had visited the Draper Hide for possible little ringed plover so I'll return.

male blackcap

same bird

From the Tern Hide there were 100+ black headed gulls, a few canada geese and this little grebe. No sign of any common terns, yet but I suspect they'll be on site within the next 7 days.

splendidly plumaged bhg

shelduck from Gadwall Hide

little grebe

not often you see a bhg in a tree.