Silly coot

This cheeky coot was fed up of fishing and decided to risk a high wire (fence) trick to steal from the bird feeder.

Aqualate Mere is a wonderful, and totally deserted, Nature Reserve, not far from Stafford. It's leased by Natural England and there's a brilliant bird hide from where you can watch the goings on.

I was amazed that they provide good binoculars, and lots of helpful charts. I was introduced to this paradise by a great friend who lives not far away. We must have spent a couple of hours in the hide.

We watched the antics of a cheeky squirrel. We saw a lovely family of swans close up. A woodpecker called in but didn't stay to be photographed. We saw photos on the wall that had been taken of the kingfisher, perching close to the hide, but he wasn't in evidence today.

But the star of the show had to be this silly coot.