Bird watching!
24th May 2022
Just a 20-minute drive from home is the Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Park. Around the reservoir is ancient woodland full of birds tweeting high above your head, sight unseen. And then on the reservoir are many many wildfowl which you can watch from the various hides located on the water's edge. I knew to expect ducks, swans and seagulls, but it wasn't until I saw the photo above on my computer screen that I realised there were black cormorants there as well!
At the first hide (Lyster Hide), it was the coots (black birds with white beak) that were the dominant bird on the water.
I walked further around the reservoir to Oak Hide where I spent most of my time. Here there were many mute swans feeding off slimy green vegetation. But as the time approached noon, the swans all moved away towards the visitor centre, presumably expecting humans there to feed them something tastier!
The most vocal birds on the water were the coots. It was still breeding time and there was a lot of commotion as birds fought for attention and to keep rivals away.
Most of the time I sat watching birds out for lunch! Many were in family groups with two parents and their youngsters. In the photos below we have greylag geese, coots, mallard ducks, and a great crested grebe.
One of the challenges I set myself today was to see if I could capture photographs of birds in flight. I had my lens at its maximum length of 500mm, but mostly the birds were too far away even for this lens. I can see why true birders use lens of 800mm. The first photo is a juvenile seagull and the others are black-headed gulls which skirted close to the water to take a drink. I love the streamlined look of the black-headed gull in the final photo.
Taking photos of birds in flight is a real skill, but I think I'll stick to taking photos of non-moving objects! Besides, one can still sit in a hide and watch the behaviours of the birds and these experiences will still stick in one's memory. Hanningfield Reservoir is a great place to visit as you have both the woodland and the water to enjoy, and there are visitor centres at both ends of the reserve with cafes and facilities.
