An afternoon at Maple Lodge Nature Reserve

After recovering from my earlier excitement at Tring I conducted an afternoon visit to Maple Lodge Nature Reserve where I bumped into Chris Sharp. From the Teal Hide we observed a total of 5 Green Sandpiper all busily feeding on the exposed mud as a Hobby hawked overhead. Later 2 Kingfisher put in a brief appearance from Long Hedge Hide and on leaving 2 Green Woodpecker were noted feeding on ants at the cricket pitch.
A full species count as follows;
Little Grebe (2 pairs with young with a further pair noted), Great-crested Grebe (2 pairs with fledged young at lynsters lake viewed from lynsters hide), Grey Heron (3), Mute Swan (2), Canada Goose (2), Gadwall (2), Teal (10), Mallard (40), Shoveler Duck (10), Pochard (duck with brood of young on the clubhouse lake), Tufted Duck (3 duck with broods of young), Sparrowhawk (1), Hobby (1), Moorhen (10 plus pair with recently hatched young below the sluice hide), Coot (18), Green Sandpiper (5), Black-headed Gull (13), Lesser Black-backed Gull (2 over), Herring Gull (1 over), Common Tern (1), Stock Dove (2), Woodpigeon (10), Kingfisher (2), Green Woodpecker (2), Great-spotted Woodpecker (male at clubhouse feeders), Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Reed Warbler (1 briefly from shell hide), Chiffchaff (2 at long hedge), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Rook (1 over briefly), Carrion Crow, Chaffinch (4), Greenfinch (2), Goldfinch (1 feeding on thistle below long hedge).
Butterflies;
Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small White.

                                          Green Sandpiper.