Another day of guiding in the hide

The Safari spent the afternoon acting as a 'Guide in the Hide' at the nature reserve with our Extreme Photographer and his new 600mm & Canon 1d mk iv combo for company, his first proper outing with it.

The light wasn't brilliant but it wasn't bad eider. Outside the hide door there was a clump of moth-eaten (or should that be slug-eaten) fungi sprouting through the leaf litter under the hedge.

We always appreciate someone putting a name to our fungi pics - we're useless at them!

Through the window the Grey Squirrels were up to their usual tricks thieving all the birds' food.

We'd put up a new table closer to the windows for the youngsters to get better views - it didn't take long for the birds to find it. Nor did it take long for the camera shutters to start whirring. Not the best effort we'd lost the light by now.

And once the the birds had found it the squirrels weren't far behind in their investigations

Hmm can I get round that?

Up we go - nearly there

Made it - now what's up here worth having?

The other post is the one with the tiny Rowan tree growing out of it but what was on the top of one post  might be the same on the other.

Where's the food?

 At the back was a very late Bramble still in flower

All manner of common birds were on the hunt for spilled seed

The ridiculously mild conditions mean that the Apples haven't yet been touched by the Fieldfares and Redwings, nor even the local Blackbirds.

The only finches we saw were Chaffinches until a colour ringed Goldfinch turned up briefly but didn't come  down to thee feeders.

A couple of Robins sparred for the best seat in town.

Star bird of the day was the Great Spotted Woodpecker that came in for a go at the fat balls.

A look over the mere as the sun dropped gave us only a small Starling murmuration of only about 1000 strong.

Walking back to the Land Rover we heard the familiar calls of Pink Footed Geese approaching and luckily reached open ground as they went over so low that we could hear their wings beating - about 500 of them - an awesome spectacle to end the day.

Where to next? Little chance of much wildlifing at all tomorrow but hopefully we'll get a chance of a pic for our #100moredaysofnature

In the meantime let us know who's gobbling up all the food in your outback