Ardingly Reservoir

Sunday, Margie and I paid a visit to Ardingly Reservoir, we haven't been since before Lock Down. Last time we went it was half empty, this visit it was full to bursting!  Not a bad walk around, we saw several young birds with Siskins being fed and a lovely family of Marsh Tits, must have been at least 6 youngsters which is good to see from a bird that is in serious decline. Lot's of Great Crested Grebes, with a few nests spotted in the undergrowth, although only one lot had Humbugs and they were riding on their parents back at long distance. Plenty of Raptors about, didn't see the hoped for Hobby, but had good views of Peregrine, Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, a family of Ravens appeared and whilst watching a high up Red Kite, Margie spotted an even higher up White Stork, was way up high so couldn't get a picture but was probably one of the Knepp Birds!!

Some views of the Reservoir by Margie, we parked by the arm rather than the Dam.

Male Siskin couldn't get a pic of him feeding the youngsters.

Common Buzzard

Song Thrush with a beak full!

 

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Were several people fishing along the bank, but suspect they were after something bigger than this, possibly a Roach or Rudd was quite a big shoal in the margins

Serene Grebe

Egyptian Geese

Another Buzzard

Some more of Margie's pics below!

Damselfly

Typical Margie pic!😏

Some pics below of the adorable Marsh Tit youngsters, very tricky to get pics of as they flittered about in the waterside Willow!

Young Marsh Tit

Pretty sure this was a Peregrine was very brown on the upper side, so maybe a first summer Female, very stocky

Great Crested Grebe parent with a couple of Humbugs on it's back at least two young maybe more!

I had just remarked we'd seen no Terns when this flew by, Common Tern.

Sparrowhawk

Red Kite at least 3 present, came down low over the water a couple of times

Cormorant

Couple of the Ravens, presumably a family group

Think this was the same Song Thrush we saw on the way in, hopefully different worms!

Finally some pics of a Dog Rose taken on my phone! 

Was a very nice walk around, had cracking views of a Garden Warbler singing it's heart out having ID'd it using the Merlin App, also a cracking views of a  male Bullfinch calling well, that I had  ID'd myself from the call before I saw it!! Sadly I was too slow to get pics of either bird!!