Hawthorn Berries

 Also known as the May tree the month in which the flowers appear. The pale green leaves appear first before the explosion of pale pink flower. Then comes these vivid red berries. These are food for many birds that appear on the trees in autumn.

Black Headed Gulls Juvenile

 Many of these birds seem to congregate on the islands. That is when they are not flying about and dive bombing the other birds on the lake. Apart from Canada Geese this is probably the most abundant breed of birds that are about at Ferrymoor Flash right now.

Groundsel

 This is a wildflower often found growing on cultivated or disturbed ground. There are quite a few of these plants growing around Ferrymoor Flash. It starts with clusters of yellow flowers gradually turning to white fluffy seed heads. This particular plant can be found fairly widespread throughout the UK.

Damaged Tree

 On my last visit there appeared to be a tree branch that had fallen over in to part of the lake. Across a path above but fortunately not blocking access along the path. When I looked up at the tree it was visible that the branch had split away from the tree. I guess tis is due to the fact we have had no rain for quite some time now. The water level in the lake is also getting seriously low.

Great Crested Grebe

 There were a pair of these birds nesting on the lake earlier in the year. They successfully raised two chicks. I love to see the chicks as they always look like large humbugs with their black and white furry bodies. These are now grown in to Juvenile birds and still swimming about with the two adult birds.

 

Runner Duck

 Actually a domestic duck but they seem to have gone feral and several of these birds can now be seen at Ferrymoor Flash.  Also known as  Indian Runner ducks who knows if they actually originate from India. It is said they do come from India and Bali. They are tall and slender and look quite amusing they way they waddle about.

Grey Heron

There seems to be several of these birds visiting Ferrymoor Flash at the moment. I have actually seen up to five of them on one visit. This large wading bird can be found standing in the water eagerly waiting for a fish to swim by and then pounce on it for an easy meal. In flight they are quite a spectacular sight with their large wings slowly flapping.

Wood Pigeon Juvenile

 I sat on a bench under a tree looking across to the island where the turtles were out basking in the sun. All of a sudden this bird appeared above me making this awful cooing noise like they do early in the morning. He sat there posing for me for quite some time. Obviously one of this years youngsters.

The Lake

 Summer captures around the lake are slowly diminishing and scenes of an early autumn are starting to appear. This picture was taken from the second bench. A view to the very far end of the lake shows some tall trees. Probably some of the very first to be planted here. I notice a change in the foliage and trees on every visit.

Black Headed Gull Juvenile

 There are always many of these birds around a Ferrymoor Flash. Adults and Juveniles both can be seen flying around and swimming in the lake. The adult has a black head although it is really more of a chocolate colour. The Juvenile has a small black mark at the side of the head. They are sociable and noisy and tend to gather in groups.

Mallard Duck Male Juvenile

 Lots of these birds about at Ferrymoor Flash. This is a large heavy looking duck with a long body and a  large broad bill. The male has a green head but this one is a juvenile so just a small portion of green showing now. The female is mainly all brown with an orange bill.

Cormorant

 This bird was perched in a tree on the island. A large black waterbird whose size and colour make it very visible. It can often be seen standing with its wings spread out to dry off. They are supreme expert fishers and diving in to the water is their speciality.

White Goose

A new bird made a visit to the reserve this week but only stayed for a couple of days. It is obviously a Domestic Goose of some kind that has now become feral. When I first spotted this bird it was sitting  down on one of the islands and I though it was an Aylesbury Duck. But the next day it was a lot closer to observe.

Fallen Tree

 There are many fallen trees around the lake most of them are on the edge of islands. This picture was taken from the second bench where many of the waders seem to gather. I spotted a Kingfisher perched on here a couple of weeks ago. Have you noticed how some of the trees are starting to turn colour? It is going to be a very early Autumn this year. I guess we have the greenhouse effect and climate change to thank for this.

Little Egret

Perched on a fallen tree at the side of the island  this bird flew in while I was having five minutes rest on a bench. They always look so attractive with their white plumage, black legs and bill and yellow feet. Lets hope many more of these birds will start to appear at Ferrymoor Flash.

Thistle Seed Heads

 The Scotch Thistle looks so magnificent when it is in flower. But even more so when the flowers die off and go to seed. There are many of these wildflowers growing at Ferrymoor Flash now. This is probably a flower that you would normally walk past without even giving it a second look.

Robin Juvenile

This cute little bird was perched in a hedge. My most favourite bird. Wherever you go you are almost guaranteed to see one. Their cheerful song can be heard all year round. The juvenile birds do not have that red breast which makes them so distinctive from other birds. But they still look so beautiful.

Hawthorn Berries

 The berries seem to be getting ripe a lot earlier this year. Many of these trees are scattered about at Ferrymoor Flash. The Hawthorn is a common tree that flowers in the month of May. Sometimes known as as the May Tree when the pinky white flowers appear first, The whole tree is a haven for wildlife including bugs birds and insects.

Canada Geese

 There are literally hundreds of these birds at Ferrymoor Flash now. Many are just visiting and fly in to the reserve every day. It is a large goose with a black head and large white throat patch. They originate from North America but cover almost all of the UK now. They tend to gather in noisy flocks.

Purple Loosestrife

 There is lots of this plant growing at Ferrymoor Flash. It is a plant that normally grows beside lakes and  rivers. But it seems to have seeded itself everywhere. Quite a bright and colourful plant. It grows quite tall with dense forming purple flowers. It tends come in to flower between the months of June and August. It is also valuable food for long tongued insects such as the Brimstone Butterfly.

Black Headed Gull Juvenile

I spotted this bird perched on a post in the water. It was captured through the trees and bushes therefore giving a fuzzy effect round the picture. This is also known as selective focusing. There always seems to be lots of these birds about every time I visit the reserve. Considering this is mainly a sea bird we could not be more far from the nearest coast.

Perforate St Johns Wort

 One of the many wildflowers to be found now at Ferrymoor Flash. These small yellow flowers were flowering alone in a quiet corner. They flower between June and September and are normally found growing along Hedgerows and open ground. Closeup the flowers tend to have a spiky look.

Right place Right time

 I guess it really is being in the right place at the right time. To get that special image, yes is the answer. I was walking round the lake and when I got to the second bench I spotted the cloud formation in the scene opposite. I have never seen this before and I doubt I will see it again.

Backlit Leaves

 One of my favourite parts of photography is to play with light. These leaves for example, when I first spotted them they looked just ordinary. But as I was passing a bench where they were growing I decided to take a five minute break. All of a sudden the sun came out from behind a cloud and made a glow behind them. It was then a different picture altogether. 

Muscovy Duck

 There are a couple of these birds at Ferrymoor Flash now. Although this is actually a domestic duck the Muscovy seems to have gone to be wild in many places. I have seen at least three  different colours of them in the past. Mostly black  and white, brown and all white. A lot of the time they seem to be perched beside the lake and sometimes on the island.

Comma Butterfly

Just one of the many different species of Butterflies to be found at Ferrymoor Flash. This particular one is becoming more widespread possibly due to global warming. The caterpillars can often be found on stinging nettles and are a great food for birds. This picture was captured on the blackberry bushes that are now offering an abundance of fruits.

Himalayan Balsam

 This plant is so invasive and very fast growing. The flowers  look so beautiful. How on earth did it get here in the UK? Earlier this year a work party removed a lot from the ditch where most of it is growing but it has all come back again, in great force and quantity. Some of it is in fact about ten foot high in places. I would think it really needs removing now before it sets seed and spread even further around the reserve.

The Beach

 This area is known locally as the beach. There is no sand just a flat area that sometimes gets very muddy. Many waders can normally be found resting here. The waters edge is very shallow so I guess that is why the birds like this part of Ferrymoor Flash. I have had many messages recently asking where and how to get to this reserve. The Post Code is S72 7BN and the Map Reference is SE4008. Visiting is Free by the way.