Lemsford Springs 9th September 2021

Lemsford Springs is a little gem of a HMWT reserve near Welwyn Garden City and great for photography. It has recently reopened and a had Greenshank turned up which is a very scarce bird for the reserve. Lemsford is a HMWT reserve and please see their website for visiting instructions and any guidelines currently in place. A disused watercress farm, it is noted for its population of Green Sandpipers, all colour ringed by Barry the warden. The clear waters and tiny shrimps are a big draw for them.

In a strange quirk, one of the Lemsford Green Sandpipers on the 24th August had been reported in Santander, Northern Spain, making the 963K journey in just over 26 hours!
​Another Lemsford speciality are Grey Wagtails with this one catching an insect.

Mandarin Ducks are sometimes seen here, and eventually this male, just coming out of eclipse plumage, offered an opportunity for some shots.

I don't think I have seen Common Snipe here before, but this one showed extremely well right in front of the second hide.

I even managed a bit of video footage.

Up in one of the large trees opposite the hides, a Red Kite was having a meal of what may have been a Rabbit leg.

One of the highlights for me was a family group of five Mistle Thrushes that came down to bathe. I heard them before seeing them, and one of the birds stood guard while the others washed!

Was the Greenshank still there? Thankfully yes, and it showed really well, certainly the closest I have seen one. You can certainly see how it got its name!

And a short video to finish with.

A great couple of hours, and if you visit, please check the HMWT site first to ascertain how to access and follow the current guidelines that are in place.