Water Rails

Lots of water rails can regularly be heard around the Axe wetlands.  Not always easy to see but this one chose to swim cautiously by me on Black Hole Marsh

and this one (a much poorer picture) was having a wash in a ditch on Seaton marshes and remained fairly well hidden

These photos are not particularly good due to such poor light but are worth showing you for the size of this fish. There was no way this kingfisher was going to manage to swallow it

She just about managed to fly up out of the water with it and tried to finish it off 

But eventually having tried to swallow it a few times gave up and dropped it once she was attacked by 3 black headed gulls tempted by the fish.

That's better.  A much more appropriate size for such a small creature

Have not seen much else this week so a few more recent kingfisher pictures

 

Black redstart and starling roost

A black redstart in Axmouth harbour was nice to see though photographing it became rather difficult due to a strong gusty wind and poor light  Five minutes earlier and I would at least have had some sunshine.  What a stunner.

The starling roost on the Axe Estuary has been quite spectacular over the last week so have taken rather a lot of photos.

This yellow legged gull was on the estuary this morning (thanks to Ian M)

And finally as you have probably noticed before I just can't resist kestrels

On and off patch

As many of you have pointed out it has been a while since I posted anything here so thought it about time I did so.  These are a few recent photos taken round by the Field Study Centre 

This stonechat was taken through the glass so not the best of pictures

and this beautiful male kestrel was quite content to sit and preen its feathers while I sat close by

A teal having a stretch on Black Hole Marsh

and one of many starlings down on Seaton marshes

A bit off patch now - the long tailed duck down at Bowling Green Marsh

A dunlin at Ferry Bridges

A pair of nice shovellers at Radipole

and finally a Radipole marsh harrier

A bold fox, a merlin and more life on the Axe

A few photos from this week all taken on Black Hole Marsh.  I missed Steves sabines gull and also the arctic tern but I did manage todays merlin all be it rather distant.  Most of these that follow are some of our common residents starting with a posing kestrel.

and the distant poor shot of the merlin just before it flew upstream

and Tim looking for it!

A great tit with a tasty meal

and one of our kingfishers

also with a meal

a blue tit

and a greenfinch

and a pied wagtail

Earlier this week a fox came running boldly up the estuary from Coronation Corner and disappeared into the readbeds further upstream

 A pair of stomechats have been a regular sight on the way to the tower hide the last few days

 and a few med gulls can be found on the river most of the time

and finally a common view of the kingfisher as it flashes by.