No 89 Shoveler

We went to RSPB Old Moor today. It was very quiet and the weather was so-so, but as always the birds came up trumps. I'm running out of regulars, and today's "special" - a little egret, was predictably encamped on the far side of the mere. I reckon I will be able to get a better picture of one of these before the year is out (famous last words), so I went for the stalwart shoveler. There were also lots of gatekeeper butterflies - the one I blipped yesterday - along Green Lane. One of the day's crowd pullers was a family of kestrels sitting on the platform of an owl box (3 youngsters, I think) while the parents hunted right across the reserve. There was a sparrow hawk, lots of tufted ducklings, a kingfisher and a small smattering of common terns. Sadly still very little joy on the dragonfly front, although there were quite a few blue tailed damselfly around.