It Ain't Half Otter Mum

 A very good walk along the Mere this morning, despite the grey and overcast sky. 

The Red-backed Shrike was still present in first/second field, although I couldn't get close enough to improve on the photos I already have from last Monday.

I walked through to the hide at Decoy in the hope of seeing Marsh Harriers - I didn't see one, but better than a Marsh Harrier, an otter appeared right in front of me 😀

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Otter with a creamy coloured top lip. I thought they were teeth!

Although the light was poor I managed some reasonable images in the few seconds it was visible, before it swam off to the west.

A minute after the otter disappeared the Great White Egret that has been present for some time flew in over the far reed bed and was immediately harrassed by a Grey Heron.

Grey Heron seeing off the Great White Egret

 The heron's threats must have worked as the egret flew off west, passing the hide as it did so.

GWE going west

Nothing else turned up so I left, grinning to myself, and walked out through the wood. A couple of Jays were shouting at something or other but I couldn't see them or whatever had upset them. A Great Spotted Woodpecker chipped in too.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Along the path a young Roe Deer appeared, saw me and went back from whence it came. By the time I got my camera up and pointed in the right direction I had a view of its rear end - this happens often 😂

Going past the Barnacle Geese flock I counted 164, but more interestingly there were 19 Pink-footed geese with them.

Pink footed geese with the blisterin' barnacles

I looked for the shrike on my way back but couldn't find it. Several birders were also in second field scanning for it.

3 Stonechats are still in first field along the fence line. They show well at times but aren't approachable.

Stonechat

All in all a brilliant morning, and to round it off the sun came out just as I reached home. Now why couldn't it have done that a few hours earlier?