Preening In Pairs - Love Is In The Air

We have had a lot of rain this morning and the river was high and in spate at Fishers Green. As soon as I arrived for my walk around Seventy Acres Lake I saw a great crested grebe and watched it catch three fish. It photobombed a pic I was taking of a little grebe by surfacing with the third fish in its beak. It was joined by another great crested grebe and the pair spent a long time close together preening. Hope I get to shoot their weed dance in the coming weeks.

I noticed a very dark coloured pheasant low to the ground. As I approached it didn't move and I thought it might be injured. I got a shock when it suddenly whirred into the air in a blur of emerald and navy.

I captured a little egret flying over the reeds, its yellow feet catching the light beautifully.

I managed a series of shots of a heron taking off and in flight but by then the light was failing. At four-thirty I was surprised to see a sparrowhawk perched by the path and managed a very grainy image.

I've decided to post this pair of mallards that were bathing and preening together, I think it will lead to more. :)