Rabbit

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It was a beautiful day today, so I headed out with my camera. The morning proved to be quite frustrating. Lots going on, but never quite in a place I could get a camera on to it. There was a very active pair of tree-creepers in one section of the woodland gardens, but every time they came out someone would walk by and scare them off again. One chap helpfully walked right up to me to tell me where to find a heron just as I was lining up one of the best opportunities of the morning.

This improved a bit after lunch, although the tree-creepers did not come back. I'm quite pleased with this young rabbit. It seemed relatively unconcerned by my presence.

Wordless Wednesday: Grey Seal

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Wordless Wednesday: Little Tern

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Kingfisher

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The crane park kingfishers seem to have been much shyer this year. There is at least one pair still on the river, but I've hardly seen them since February. So on Friday I headed up to Rye Meads RSPB reserve outside Hoddesdon to see if I could get closer to one of the pairs nesting there. It was a good day with lots of sightings, although due to the position of the hide I was not able to get as close as I have been in Crane Park. I took a fair few photos - but I think I must have been a bit to impatient because hardly any of them were really sharp. This was probably the best of the bunch. Looks like I need to go back again!

Male Mandarin Duck

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After Mary's comment about Mandarins looking similar to Carolina Wood Ducks I remembered this picture of a male Mandarin which I took back in April and had intended to use as a wordless Wednesday image - but somehow forgot about in the excitement of all the photos from the Farne Islands. It was one of those still, clear spring days where the sun is low and golden, and the ponds were mirror smooth. So thanks, Mary, and I hope you like the Mandarin!