Longham Patch 7th April

On the Friday afternoon of the 7th April I headed off to Longham Lakes, after a very busy and slightly stressful morning at work. I am a C.N.C ( computer numerically control) programmer/operator machinist which means I program machines to machine parts out of steel or aluminium. So after rushing to get a job done by 1.30pm only to be told it can wait until next week after I finished the work.It was very nice to be able to get over to the lakes on a wonderful sunny afternoon and bright blue sky and a gentle warm breeze.

Walking down the east path

Walking round the large lake I found there was not really much about except for Tufted Ducks, Coots and a few Great Crested Grebes. Two of the grebe were half heartly doing the courtship weed dance again,it is interesting to watch this happen but I still have not seen them get up on the feet, only a lot of head shaking with the chestnut hoods/frills spread wide and diving for weed.

It was very nice to hear the bird song as I walked the path ways round the lake Cetti's Warblers, Wrens, Dunnocks, Chaffinches and best of all two male Blackcaps giving it the all  which presumed was to entice a female which was spotted near by to in to the territory? I did make a lovely sound to the ear as I stood there listening to the beautiful melodic song.
I scanned the gulls out on the water still hoping to find my first Ringed billed Gull but once again no luck just Herring Gulls and to my surprise 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
As the sky was cloud less and clear blue I was hoping I might spy a Red Kite or an Osprey flying over as they have been reported in the past but I have never seen on over Longham Lakes and today was no different with only one Buzzard seen displaying with it climbing high the pulling its with a plummeting towards the ground and pull and start again.

Female Tufted Duck

Male Tufed Duck with female in the back ground