Saturday morning showers

After the deluge of rain of this last week, I decided to head out yesterday morning for a couple of hours. I nearly did not go as the light was not really very good and it was still raining but needed to get out with the camera. Having said that I did not come home with many shots as I spent a fair amount of time trying to get some shots of reed warbler but they had other ideas. So I ended up with..

A goldfinch gathering nesting material

A Greenfinch
and a male LinnetMeanwhile in my back garden at home the numbers of this years young goldfinch are steadily increasing.and the Collared doves seem quite aggressive at the moment and chasing away a number of other birds

I also caught sight of another very small new visitor to the garden which has so far escaped the attentions of the neighbours cats.

Parkgate Flood

I saw the big spring tide come over the salt marsh on the Dee Estuary at Parkgate for the first time. A bird watchers paradise as all the birds have to take flight from the marsh to escape the flooding waters and predators come in to pick off the fleeing rodents. However, a lot of the action is at too far a distance for photography. However, I did still manage to get a couple of shots.

A Mute swan on a fly-by

Water rail flushed from the vegetation try to take cover to avoid being prey. Several were drifting on small floating islands of grass.

Until the island starts to sink !!!

Its not only the birds seeking cover. This field mouse was using a log as a raft.