SHORNECOTE REED BED

 Another beautiful afternoon in this exceptionally warm  winter sunshine  for  an afternoon visit to Shorncote reed bed in the Water parks today. The highlight of the afternoon was perhaps the great white egret which paid a brief visit but otherwise it was fairly quiet really. The usual ducks on the lakes; gadwall, mallard, teal, tufted and shoveler, and a few reed buntings along with blue tits and great tits. Also heron and little egret seen. On the way back to the car, I was surprised to see some yellow hammers in the trees. 

Another   first butterfly for the year was a small tortoiseshell which stopped to soak up the sun on the path.