As Wallace would say to gromit A GRAND DAY OUT LAD.

My trip to Burton mere really was a grand day out, bright n cold then dark n wet then bright n wet then really bloody cold and time to go home but enjoyable non the less, on arriving I introduced myself as a new member visiting a reserve for the first time, I half expected a list of does & don't s but actually got a half hour guided tour which proved to be really helpful. The staff are proud of what they have achieved over the last few years and so they should be.

Now for the birds, there are lots n lots of geese - mostly  Canadian,  pink footed  a few white fronted and greylag s in the mix, all to far away for me to photograph with any kind of success but just seeing these large birds in flight over the Dee estuary is a magical sight.

While photographing a blue tit preforming acrobatics on a bull rush, a commotion amongst the reeds started and the biggest swan I have ever seen flew over my head! and no I didn't get a shot of that either (50/50 mute - whooper according to the experts which means it was too quick for them and not just me )  

A nice quiet hour was spent in a hide out on the marsh overlooking a scrape with a pair of Gray heron looking quite comical - see photo below, a large number of snipe and yet more Canadian geese were also present. I have no doubt that there were a lot more wild fowl present then I could see this is a large area and  I don't have any bins yet. I hope you enjoy the photographs & if you could help me by identifying the bird on the feeder it would be a big help 

 Regards Bri.  and a big thank you to all the staff at R.S.P.B. Burton mere.            

Help I don't know what this is ( Goldfinch ? )

Everyone in the hide laughed when someone said MEXICAN STANDOFF

Blue tit amongst the bull rushes  

Male Tufted duck shot against the sun 

New R.S.P.B. member an old git!

Because of all the medication I take getting out has been a bit of a problem , tablets make me drowsy - so I cant drive, it takes 2-3 hours for the fog to clear from my head every morning , all I can say is thank god for local parks such as Acton in Wrexham.
A local fishing club maintains the area around the lake & provides platforms (for fishing from) large & safe enough for wheelchair users to view from or indeed fish from, I find them handy for my tripod!. The park is a 10 Min walk away but traffic concerns mean that I can only get there if my wife or son walks with me, once there i,m as happy as a pig in - well you know
Anyway to the RSPB. I joined early this month & I am paying my first visit to a reserve on the 26th to Burton mere on the Dee estuary, I am really looking forward to seeing something other than pochard, grebe, mallard & Canada geese, not that I,m bored with my usual suspects, I just want to see something different - a little egret would be nice. As I have said before I don't want or expect sympathy from anyone. My anxiety, depression is my problem which I have to deal with but I have to admit that I feel at my best when out watching our little or large feathered friends.

P.S Big thanks to the wife - she,s driving on Thursday.  Regards sad old git.