More Langford Lakes, Wiltshire

SATURDAY saw another bright spring day (eventually) at Langford Lakes and the stars of the show were the breeding birds.

The rookery up river was full of raucous goings on, but on the lake itself the great-crested grebes and the other nesting birds were the stars.  The grebes continue to display in their finery with the males barking loudly across the choppy waters.

The coots had laid a large clutch of eggs and nervously edged around the willow where the nest was, until at last one of them (the female?) sat down to brood.

Well hidden nest

A signature of spring is the bursting willow catkins, which many insects find an important food source.

Along the river a pair of grey wagtails were flitting around, chirping and chasing insects

In the mud a set of fresh tracks indicated that a water vole (or maybe less excitingly a brown rat) had been working the area for food.

Here are more of the grebe images:

Our smallest native species, a goldcrest, was seen flying from branch to branch, squabbling, calling and chasing its rival.  Its bright crest was raised in an aggressive pose.