St Aidan’s part six

 The sixth and final part of our trip to RSPB St Aidan’s. My last Blog was Bitterns in flight however to be able to get into flight they naturally must take off.  Here is a full sequence of one of the Bitterns coming out of the reeds and taking off.

If you look very closely you can just make out the eye of a second Bittern below and to the left of the first.

At times it didn’t look elegant.

And it seemed to be crashing into the reeds a lot

But it did eventually make it out

And as Bob and Paul would say “and away”

Take offs and landings

 29.03.24 NT Gibside with the family on Good Friday for a stroll along the avenue to the Octagon Pond. I have never taken as many pictures of Mallards as I did here, they were fighting, taking off and landing, it was canny to watch.

Female taking off.

Male doing the same

Male coming in to land.

Touch down.

It just makes you want to go weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee doesn’t it (or is that just me).

But no sooner had he landed then he was being attacked

And made to take off again.

A couple of Little Grebe were also on the pond hopefully there might be even littler ones soon.

A couple of distant Buzzards were flying over the estate.

My first butterfly of the year.

Roe Buck. I’m seem to be seeing these everywhere at the moment.