An Hour at Lackford Lakes

19th March 2025

My main objective today was to find some Wood Larks. I visited four normally reliable sites and only found one rather distant male singing, so decided to pop in to Lackford Lakes for a quick visit. I made my way down to the Double-decker Hide and sat there for a while watching the dabbling Teal. At that point a female Marsh Harrier appeared and started circling over The Slough.

Well, that was a result. But even better, the male appeared and joined in the display but came much closer to the hide.

But the main attraction today was the Great White Egret that was fishing just 10 yards outside the hide. 

Such elegant birds.

But with that size body it needs to catch bigger fish than that.

Here is a closer view.

And with a bit more enlargement you can see that the fish is a Three-spined Stickleback.

Amazing to think that just 15 years ago they were a rare bird in the UK.