26 October 2022 - Hollingworth Lake

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Green Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher

Quite a dull start this morning, and as I approached the nature reserve along the path beyond the gate, I could hear a Green Woodpecker calling, seemingly from within the reserve area.  As I scanned the trees hoping to locate it, the calls became louder and it then flew overhead and in the direction of Rakewood, still yaffling.  A few seconds later, a Sparrowhawk appeared above the reserve and circled a few times; possibly what had spooked the Woodpecker.

I carried on to the hide, with just a single Redwing in the big hedge seen in the meantime, but from the hide the male Kingfisher was in situ, perched on the bank of the creek to the hide's left.  A couple of minutes later it flew, hovered for a second or two, then came and landed on the post directly in front of the hide.  It didn't do any fishing, but stayed for a couple of minutes, for a while moving over to a different branch to our right, and hovering once more (though too brief for any in-flight shots). 

The light was rather dull, but at least lacking harsh shadows, so I was able to get some reasonable photos before it was flushed by a Black-headed Gull.  

By the pavilion spit, a party of Long-tailed Tits moved through the shoreside Willows, but there wasn't much else to be seen.

Kingfisher, 1/160 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 3200 (view full size image)

Kingfisher , 1/60 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1000 (view full size image)

Long-tailed Tit, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 4000 (view full size image)