Spoonbill - Lodmoor

Spoonbill

What an interesting bird especially how it feeds.

It uses the long spatulate like beak moving it side to side in the low water like a vacuum cleaner picking up food from the muddy bottom of the water. It eats aquatic invertebrates and small fish.

Yet again the weather was poor and the light was awful with very low cloud base. 

When are we going to get some sunshine.?

When scanning the flock of Lapwing at Lodmoor on this occasion, I was able to get a shot of a lone Golden Plover.

Unfortunately it was asleep and had its head tucked in.

More Water Rail

Another attempt to get some Water Rail images proved better than the last time. Although the light was poor with a grey overcast low cloud base at Lodmoor Reserve Weymouth, I am pleased that I was able to get some.

Identifying the male from the female is very difficult, especially if they are not observed together. There are no distinguishing marks. The male is slightly bigger than the female, but not by much.

Another Beardie Trip

Female

Another walk around Radipole Lake Reserve, Weymouth.

This time the sun was in a more favourable position.

Male

The Elusive Water Rail.

The Water Rail.

Not the easiest bird to find, but I was fortunate enough to see this one during a visit to Lodmoor Reserve, Weymouth.

In reality it is not a rare species, but is very secretive and does not show out in the middle of any stretch of water. It prefers to search for food (Invertebrates and small fish) along the edge of freshwater reeds where it can hide if disturbed.

 

Mediterranean Gull (Adult Winter Plumage)

A few flight shots of a Mediterranean Gull in what I believe (from my research such as it is) to be in 3rd winter adult plumage. 

I took these images at Radipole Lake Reserve Weymouth.