Catching up at Stourhead

Although Stourhead is on my doorstep, it had been a while since I visited.  I decided to remedy this.

This Mallard drake is slowly working his way out of eclipse on the Lily Lake.

I moved into the woodland that runs up the valley towards Alfred's Tower.  There's always plenty to see there, but, as might be expected in such a habitat, the light-levels are normally pretty grim for shoot-from-the-hip wildlife photography.  I was not disappointed (in either respect!) on this occasion.

Spotted Flycatcher

Exif data:  1/50s; f7.1; EC = 0; ISO 2000

Robin

Exif data:  1/100s; f5.6; EC = -1; ISO 2000

Back in the more open parkland and by the main lake, I was approached by a (another) Robin.  I don't think I recognised it, although it could have been one I worked with at the beginning of the year.  (I've been looking at the images I took then.  I'm not sure.)  Anyway, it came within a couple of metres and posed 'provocatively' in the shrubbery.

... and my favourite:

A Tufted Duck family was out on the main lake.  The mother was keeping the chicks close at all times.  This is probably the best defence again Pike – they'll not notice the bite-sized youngsters.

"I think they've got their mother's eyes"

Four days later and I was back at Stourhead.

Canada Goose enjoying the morning sun

Coot.  All spruced up in its Sunday best

I think this is a Small White butterfly, but I'll stand to be corrected.

This last group of images was taken a few days later again.

Robin

This one was hanging out near the Iron Bridge.  It's been in the wars.  Apart from the missing claw on its right foot, it's lost the whole of its left foot.  If you look closely you can make out the end of the tibiotarsus section of the leg.  Everything below the human equivalent of the ankle is gone.  I asked around some of the regulars and one couple reported having seen the bird two days earlier with the foot hanging by a thread.

The bird was quite close and very trusting.  From a lower point-of-view and with close-focusing binoculars, I could see the end of the 'stump' and it looked to have healed healthily.  We'll have to see how it gets on with this impairment.

Here's a closer image.  Looks bright enough.

Busy feeding:

Canada Goose