Great white egret and kingfisher

Great White Egret, Ardea alba

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On Thursday I visited Arundel WWT and saw a kingfisher on the railings by the boating area. I then took a boat trip and we followed it around the waterways with some very close sightings and a fly-by. A Peregrine roosted at the top of the Hangar. I saw the Great White Egret for the first time in the distance from the Ramsar and Scrape hides. Late afternoon I called into the Ramsar hide for one last look and saw a Cetti's warbler. I looked up and was amazed to see the Great White Egret right in front of the hide.

 The following day at the woodland feeders I saw a Water Rail, Long-tailed Tits and a Nuthatch.

Friday January 13:

Sand Martin hide

Canada Geese, Branta canadensis

Canada Goose

Cetti's Warbler, Cettia cetti

Great White Egret, Ardea alba

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea

Greylag Goose, Anser anser

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis

Peregrine, Falco peregrinus

Teal, Anas crecca

Barrow's Goldeneye ♀, Bucephala islandica

Barrow's Goldeneye ♀

Saturday January 14:

Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus

Canada Geese on icy water

Great Tit, Parus major

Great White Egret, Ardea alba

Little Grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis

Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus

Magpie, Pica pica

Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos

Nuthatch, Sitta europaea

Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus

Harvest mouse, Mink and a Kingfisher

Harvest Mouse, Micromys minutus

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

The past two days I visited Arundel WWT and was delighted to see a Harvest Mouse, a Mink and Kingfishers.

American Mink, Neovison vison

 On Tuesday afternoon I walked towards the Scrape Hide at 3:45pm and saw a group of enthusiasts pointing cameras at the brambles. A Harvest Mouse was busy feeding on dried blackberries and ignored the group of admirers. Earlier I saw dozens of Snipe flying in front of the scrape hide and many teal were also visible. A kingfisher gave me a great fly-by near the boating water. As I left the visitor centre I glanced to the right and was amazed to see a kingfisher perched on a bulrush ten feet away.

 On Wednesday morning I returned and met two guys on the reedbed walk photographing a Mink eating an eel. It was one-third out of a hole on a little island by the walkway. It ignored us as it crunched its meal. It then rubbed its head around the entrance to the hole and disappeared. It emerged one more time very wet, then disappeared again and swam away from the back of the island, swimming around for a short time before disappearing under the walkway. Staff were informed about the bad news...

Tuesday January 10:

Goldcrest, Regulus regulus

Harvest Mouse, Micromys minutus

Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis

Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus

Robin, Erithacus rubecula

Wednesday January 11:

Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago

Gadwall, Anas strepera

Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis

Robin, Erithacus rubecula

Teal, Anas crecca

Mink at the entrance to its hole

American Mink, Neovison vison

Arrivals - making Sheffield home

Yesterday we visited the refurbished Weston Park Museum in Sheffield to see a wonderful exhibition of photography by Jeremy Abrahams. He has captured images of people who have made Sheffield their home during the period 1945-2016. Jeremy has used a great variety of styles, background and lighting in the 72 portraits which creates a very interesting exhibition.

I have to declare an interest - my father-in-law, Jan Kot, is one of the Arrivals. Danuta, one of his three daughters, is featured holding his portrait in front of the Winter Garden, which stands on the site of the Town Hall extension. This was known as The Eggbox, which Jan designed and worked in as City Architect until he retired.

Jeremy personally delivered copies of his book to us as he lives nearby, and we enjoyed hearing first-hand how the project was conceived. I particularly enjoyed his account of how the iconic cover photo was captured.

http://www.jeremyabrahams.co.uk/arrivals

http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/museums/weston-park/exhibitions/current/arrivals-making-sheffield-home

https://www.facebook.com/Arrivals-Making-Sheffield-Home-599930000181051/

While at the museum I visited the artefacts exhibits. They have a wonderful collection from all periods of history, including locals finds, plus stone age implements which were new to me - axe hammers.  The Saxon gold jewellery is very impressive.