Scarey Monsters

I had a chance to visit somewhere interesting around the York area last week so a quick Google came up with Wheldrake Ings. A nice little spot just South East of York. Unfortunately this reserve is best suited to winter migration and flooding when the Derwent breaches its banks. So in mid summer the main hide is looking over pasture fields full of crows. Oh well. I wandered along the very pleasant paths to another hide which overlooked a pond.

Very Pretty

On the far bank there where two Little Egrets, some lapwings and Canada Geese. But amongst these there was also two very interesting birds. These two....

RedShank??

(I reckon - James)

Water Rail (It was a big one!!)

And having a good swim in the water there was a family of Tufted Ducks

Tufted Duck Family

And finally a very handsome Shoveller in flight. Their beaks add to the effect when in flight.

Shoveller in flight

Then came the scary bit. On a beautiful summers day amongst the reeds I began to hear what I thought was a tractor in the distance. At the head of the path I found this beast. When the breeze blew it turned and made the most disturbing industrial nightmare of a grind. Even on a day like this it gave me the creeps. Imagine being there at midnight on a wet and windy winter.

Scary Monster

An artistic shot

On the way back I managed to get a few shots of one of the cutest birds around. The Long tailed Tit. They are flighty little buggers. Never staying still for a second and always amongst the leaves. Only when a gang of them decides to hop tree do you really get to see them. It was a welcome antidote to the scary monster.

Long Tailed Tit



These Pair of Greenshank where at another pond at the back of the Reserve

And a Sedge Warbler

If you knew these two you would recognise them. So how come I can get a pic like this of a plane hundreds of feet in the air but cant get a decent pic of a Marsh harrier that was flying about only 20 feet away!!!!!