Black-tailed Godwit wading in the lagoon on Two Tree Island, Leigh-on-Sea

On Monday my camera and I went on a birding visit to Two Tree Island, near Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.  We had a great time and saw many wading birds as it was low tide, but most of them were a long way off in the distance.

After spending some time watching the birds in the lagoon, this obliging Black-tailed Godwit came quite close to where I was perched behind some shrubbery.

As it waded towards me, it's feathers were blowing in the wind on one side.

It spent some time with it's beak down in the water.  Here it has managed to catch a tasty morsel, which is balanced in it's beak.

Searching for snacks in the lagoon

Wading through the water

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Godwit as it searched for lunch!

Black-necked Grebe at Walthamstow Wetlands

 At the beginning of October my camera took me to Walthamstow Wetlands in the hope of seeing the Black-necked Grebe that had recently been spotted on one of the reservoirs.  We were unlucky during a previous visit a couple of weeks earlier, but this time we struck the jackpot!

The Grebe was on a fishing trip and I ended up following it along almost the whole length of the reservoir and managed to take several photographs when it was above water.  Fortunately, it was within reasonable distance for the range of my camera's zoom lens.

Eventually it turned tail and swam off to the other side of the reservoir - and out of my view!

Avocets at Two Tree Island, near Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

Yesterday I went for a group walk along the estuary from Benfleet to Leigh-on-Sea.  My camera and I stopped off briefly at Two Tree Island where we encountered a group of Avocets in the lagoon.

Here a few of the Avocets are standing in the shallow water, while a large group of Redshanks are roosting at the edge one of the small islands that are scattered across the area.

A large aeroplane went overhead while I was watching the Avocets, frightening the birds.

After flying above the lagoon for a few minutes, the Avocets landed back in the water.  The Redshanks did not move!

Two small creatures at Two Tree Island nature reserve, near Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

On Tuesday this week my camera and I decided to go on a trip to Two Tree Island nature reserve, near Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.  

It was a hot and sunny day and, as I walked through the woodland, I came across this beautiful Peacock butterfly sunning it's wings on the path.

Further round the island, on a footpath overlooking the estuary, I came across this not-so-beautiful creature - a large green caterpillar - that was making its way to the other side of the path.  It was very large - I would say over 3" long!  Later I discovered that it was a Privet Hawk-Moth Caterpillar.

Wildlife in St. James's Park, London

On Monday my camera and I went for a very pleasant walk in London's St. James's Park where I was looking out for wildlife.

A Wood Pigeon was busy eating purple berries in a shrub by the lake until it was disturbed by noisy tourists.  I believe that the plant is Callicarpa. 

One of the younger Great White Pelicans was showing off its almost complete set of wings to two of the older Pelicans.  They were standing on Pelican Rock at the far end of the lake.

Nearby, a young Grey Heron began to unfold a wing.

A female Smew was relaxing on the lake.

Another Smew flapped its wings in front of a friend.

I managed to find and photograph a small Blue Tit amongst some diseased leaves on a tree behind one of the flowerbeds.

Easier to see was this giant Grey Squirrel in a nearby tree!

A Great Tit was also flying around in this area and landed on a branch just long enough for me to find it and photograph it. 

One of the park's older Great White Pelicans, Gargi, can actually fly.  On Monday, she flew around the lake on three occasions while I was walking around the park.  I missed her during her first two flights and only just caught her during her third!!

No visit to the lake recently has been without a sighting of some sort of Grebe.  On Monday it was again the turn of a beautiful Great Crested Grebe.