Brickfield Pond Nature Reserve, Rhyl - 22.11.18
Over the last couple of days there's been a number of Slavonian Grebes appearing in locations across the North of England and North Wales with one such bird appearing not so far away on a lake in Rhyl. Checking Google maps I try to establish the size of the lake and whether it was possible to get some reasonably close images, the worse case scenario always being a large lake with the bird sat in the middle looking like an unrecognisable dot in the distance. With the indicators all looking positive and with a weather forecast of some reasonable light a trip was organised for the following day. It's always emotional when I cross the border back into Wales, the land of my fathers...Cymru am Byth !
Slavonian Grebe, a scarce bird in the UK with an estimated 30 pairs breeding in Scotland (RSPB) albeit UK numbers increase in winter to over 1,000 individuals with arrivals from Iceland and Scandinavia for the UK's less harsh winter. Not to be confused with the Black Necked Grebe in winter plumage the Slavonian's stand out feature being its flat head being.
As I set off on the hour's drive it's cloudy only soon to become foggy the further west I travel thinking this might turn into an abortive trip. Now nearing the Welsh boarder all my concerns disappear as it's all blue sky and sunshine....what a great day.
Arriving at the Brickfield Nature Reserve carpark it's turned into a great day and I'm keen to see what the day has to offer. Already there are maybe fifteen people on site viewing the grebe on the small reserve lake but the sun angle is low and shooting directly into the light, there's no use relocating to the other side as the lake as the grebe is to far away, nothing is ever straight forward.
Over the next three hours it's a case of waiting for the opportunity where the grebe to moves close enough and into a position for the optimum sun angle, not the best of options, but at least the shots I think are acceptable.
Happy I've made the best of the conditions with a great day out, it's time to call time.
Slavonian Grebe
Slavonian Grebe, a scarce bird in the UK with an estimated 30 pairs breeding in Scotland (RSPB) albeit UK numbers increase in winter to over 1,000 individuals with arrivals from Iceland and Scandinavia for the UK's less harsh winter. Not to be confused with the Black Necked Grebe in winter plumage the Slavonian's stand out feature being its flat head being.
As I set off on the hour's drive it's cloudy only soon to become foggy the further west I travel thinking this might turn into an abortive trip. Now nearing the Welsh boarder all my concerns disappear as it's all blue sky and sunshine....what a great day.
Arriving at the Brickfield Nature Reserve carpark it's turned into a great day and I'm keen to see what the day has to offer. Already there are maybe fifteen people on site viewing the grebe on the small reserve lake but the sun angle is low and shooting directly into the light, there's no use relocating to the other side as the lake as the grebe is to far away, nothing is ever straight forward.
Over the next three hours it's a case of waiting for the opportunity where the grebe to moves close enough and into a position for the optimum sun angle, not the best of options, but at least the shots I think are acceptable.
Happy I've made the best of the conditions with a great day out, it's time to call time.
Slavonian Grebe
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