First lifer of the year - well, two in a way!

I recently got two lifers. One was a real British lifer (i.e. a bird I had never seen in this country before). The American Greater Yellowlegs has been at Titchfield Haven nature reserve for several weeks and I caught up with it a couple of weeks ago. Even so, it took three attempts. Anyway, here it is. The water was quite deep so you can't see the yellow legs unfortunately! Take it from me that this is a real Greater Yellowlegs and not the similar looking Greenshank, honest!

Greater Yellowlegs

Doh! OK then. For the doubters, here is one through the reeds where you can see a yellow leg! Happy now?

Greater Yellowlegs

Today I went to Rainham Marshes just for a day out with a Frenchman, Antoine, who is over here to work and improve his English. We were first into the reserve and the birds were very active. There were, in particular, many Cetti's warblers. These are notorious for being easier to hear than to see. They have a big song for such a small bird. I've seen one only once before and never photographed one. This morning, one popped out in front of us and I managed to get a half decent shot of it. As it's the very first time I've managed to photograph one, you could call that a sort of "lifer" - couldn't you??

Cetti's Warbler. A small bird with a huge song!

There were also some juvenile Bearded tits:

Bearded tit. This is a juvenile female.

and a nesting Kingfisher. This is the female - taken through thick netting and thick glass so not that clear.

Kingfisher. You didn't know they eat spiders?
This is the female. There is some red on the lower mandible of the bill.