14 April 2022 - Hollingworth Lake

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2 Common Sandpipers, Peregrine, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Teal, Jay

A cool start with mist rolling over the water from Ealees Valley, and rather dull to begin with.  This soon cleared though and gradually the sun broke through and the morning warmed up.  A Chiffchaff sang by the path, and in the hide the Great Crested Grebes were nestbuilding and occcasionally displaying; at one point passing nesting material to each other. A drake Teal fed briefly by the spit in front of the hide, but little else of note so I moved on.  As I reached the Pavilion area, I stood on the water's edge and suddenly two Common Sandpipers appeared, landing on the few inches of exposed shingle. However they saw me and flew off to the other side of the water.

Walking up the track to Turnough Farm, a male Pheasant was in the field and I practised a bit of in-flight photography as a couple of Woodpigeons and a Jay flew past. Looking towards Rakewood I spotted a distant falcon, which proved to be a Peregrine, my first of the year, though it didn't come any closer.

I walked down to Shaw Moss but didn't really see much.  At Peanock Farm a Great Spotted Woodpecker landed in a distant tree, but was so far away I couldn't see it through the viewfinder.  As it flew off I did get a few distant flight shots though. Back at the Lake, a Dunnock foraged in the pathside bushes, giving some close if against the light opportunities for photos.

Great Crested Grebes, 1/640 sec. f/7.1 500 mm, ISO 1250 (view full size image)

Teal, 1/500 sec. f/7.1 500 mm, ISO 1250 (view full size image)

Common Sandpipers, 1/640 sec. f/7.1 500 mm, ISO 500 (view full size image)

Woodpigeon, 1/640 sec. f/7.1 500 mm, ISO 125 (view full size image)

Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1/800 sec. f/7.1 500 mm, ISO 100

Dunnock, 1/500 sec. f/7.1 500 mm, ISO 1000 (view full size image)

Dunnock, 1/500 sec. f/7.1 500 mm, ISO 2000 (view full size image)