Shrugs Wings

After four busy days it was time for some fresh air. Fresh was the operative word down at Newport Wetlands .. bracing gale was another two!

It was squally and a little bit chilly .. when we will we have a spring/ summer again? The air temperature has dropped ten degrees since the blue skies of Monday, the heating has kicked back in in the house, it's all a bit odd.

It was still nice to get out today though. We just walked the loop from the visitor centre to the hide and back up the sea wall. With the blustery weather there wasn't a lot to see on the reserve itself, but the visitor centre was teeming with bird life. The resident Little Egret and Grey Heron were fishing, along with a Little Grebe. The feeders were well populated with Great Tits, Goldfinches and Greenfinches. One female Mallard had two males hassling her, and I finally saw my first chicks of the season with a Coot family feeding from the pond shore.

I know this picture is not perfect as I got some reflection from the glass window I took it through from inside the visitor centre whist devouring a rather tasty lemon and poppy seed cake, but it works as an image to sum up one of the more quiet days at Newport Wetlands.