A Day of Surprises and Good Luck

Black-billed Magpie (Pica Pica) Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes - A Day of Surprises and Good Luck
A Day of Surprises and Good Luck – Magpie Walking

A bright and sunny morning saw me head out round the patch (change over day at work means I’m off during the day but working tonight, so I get to spend an hour or two in the field), and I am really glad I did because today was very lucky and full of birds.

A Day of Surprises and Good Luck

I wasn’t really sure where to wander today, but the lake was dead (as usual, I’d love to know why some lakes have so many more ducks than others?) so I wandered down to Bradwell Abbey through the Hills and Hollows area to see what was about and was surprised by how busy it was with birds not only did I pick up my first Siskin of the year for the patch but also had Coal tit, Goldcrest and Treecreeper all birds that can be tricky, but what was most surprising was how many birds seemed to be paired up already.

All the Goldfinch I saw were in pairs, all the chaffinches as well, likewise all the tits seemed to have paired off (bar the coal tit), it really seems spring has sprung! Unfortunately nothing seemed to want to be photographed, and there was little else of interest.

Black-billed Magpie (Pica Pica) Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Black-billed Magpie (Pica Pica) Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
In fact my walk produced little else until I was back at Lodge Lake, where I decided to rest on one of the benches near the main car-park and see what was moving through (often a good area for Redpoll but really my shoulders were screaming for me to stop). It is here I photographed the first pictures of the day in the Magpie above.
One final Magpie, as it showed so well.
One final Magpie, as it showed so well.

A Piece of luck

It was while sat on this bench that my first real surprise (and piece of luck) occurred, I spotted a skein of geese flying in, 14 in total, and was shocked to see they were all Greylags, I have seen 2 birds here ever and 14 represents the largest single flock of them at the site by a long way, they did not however stop, but just sailed on through.

After a while of nothing much else happening I carried on around the lake, stopping at the smallest lake area to photograph a stunning summer Great-Crested Grebe that was very confiding.

Great-Crested Grebe, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Great-Crested Grebe, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes

 

Great-Crested Grebe, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Another of the Great-Crested Grebe, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Great-Crested Grebe, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Great-Crested Grebe, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Great-Crested Grebe, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Last of the Great-Crested Grebe, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes

As you can see this one (no idea if it is male or female, very hard to tell without seeing them mating!) showed really well, and I do love grebes (I think I could photograph them all day and not get bored odd that if you consider my last post about “The Perfect Shot“).

Luckier Still

Anyway, after running out a battery photographing the grebe I continued on only to be struck by my second shot, as I rounded a corner, sat boldly, and looking bloomin’ huge, was a female Sparrowhawk (it is not often I get to see one not flying through) and she stayed long enough for me to grab a few photos (all of her back mind you as she only turned to fly off).

Female Sparrowhawk, looking huge! Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Female Sparrowhawk, looking huge! Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes

 

Female Sparrowhawk, looking huge! Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Female Sparrowhawk, looking huge! Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
After this I was happy enough to call it a day and head home. Well one final photo of a Wood pigeon later anyway.
Wood Pigeon, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes
Wood Pigeon, Lodge Lake, Milton Keynes

Please feel free to leave me a comment. I really appreciate the interaction and will reply as soon as I can.

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2 Comments

  • AshleyBeolens

    You are dead right there, I have tried for the last few years to get a decent photo of one, they are either hidden behind branches or fly when you get close enough. Fortunately this one came to me whilst I sat having a rest 🙂

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