Amwell in Early Summer

26th May 2014

It is that time of year now when spring passage is over, the summer residents settle down to breed and everything goes quiet. However, I thought that a trip to Amwell might be worthwhile with all those young warblers flitting around in the trees. Yes, you've guessed it, it was very quiet so I made my way round to the White Hide on the off-chance that there was something, bird or mammal, lurking just outside the window. In the event the only thing that was lurking was a pair of Grey Lag Geese and their goslings. Now I don't normally bother with Grey Lags but who can resist a fluffy golden gosling.

In fact, most of the action was on the Lee Navigation, which for some reason seemed to be attracting numbers of Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls. Common Terns you can understand but it is worth reflecting on the fact that years ago the only gulls you saw inland were those feeding on the fields in winter. Nowadays Black-headed Gulls are present all year round and as recently as five years ago started displacing the Common Terns in the Lea Valley from their nesting rafts. Anyway, now that they are here, we might as well grab some photos.

It is always good fun to photograph Common Terns as they fly up and down a chosen beat, but they are not always easy as they tend to fly past you close and fast and with differing sky and vegetation backgrounds. But it is good sport and you are always trying to get that slightly better shot.