High Rid Reservoir

High Rid Reservoir

A nice wander round High Rid Reservoir over in Horwich. For an unwooded, rectangular pool of water there was a lot on. Flocks of swallows, house martins and sand martins took their turns hawking for insects over the water. A mixed flock of over forty meadow pipits, thirty-odd pied wagtails (plus one nice female white wagtail) and a dozen grey wagtails chased each other round the edges of the reservoir and there was a flock of nine dabchicks out in the water.

Grey wagtail

Pied wagtail

Pied wagtail, the same bird as above but slightly different light

Pied wagtails

I'd gone in the hope of bumping into the little gull that's been hanging round for the past few days. As I arrived a pair of buzzards flying overhead put the scare into the gulls on the water and my heart sank as they all took off. Then I cheered up as they settled back down and a tiny white figure became obvious: a first-Summer little gull. A lovely bird.

Little gull

Little gull

Little gull

Little gull

Little gull

There was a commotion over in one of the fields by the reservoir. A merlin was desperately trying to concentrate on the business of catching a meadow pipit while being mobbed by a gang of angry jackdaws.

Meadow pipit

High Rid Reservoir