Annual Pilgrimage to Lemsford

Lemsford Springs is a Herts and Middx Trust reserve centred on some old cress beds. In the winter all the vegetation is cut back allowing uninterrupted views over the stream with ideal opportunities for photography. Now it was time for my annual pilgrimage.

I had hardly got through the gate when I encountered a noisy flock of Long-tailed Tits feeding in the bushes either side of the path. I managed to catch this one mid-call.

On to the first hide.Unusually, it was very quiet. There was a male Sparrowhawk sitting deep inside one of the bushes but it was quite content preening and at no time ventured into full view. Apart from a couple of Moorhens the only other birds on show were the resident Little Egrets, this one acting as sentry by the gate, monitoring all visitors.

 As for the others, well it's a hard life, standing around yawning and preening.

I then moved on to the second hide which was far more lively. There was a Green Sandpiper feeding in the shallows, but on only one occasion looked in the direction of the camera.

But the star of the show today was the Grey Wagtail which was busy searching for food right in front of the hide, allowing lots of opportunities for shots.

For better reproduction of my photos, see my photo gallery at flickr.com/photos/seymourbirdies

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