Ruff...

Spent a few hours at Martin Mere, a reserve run by the Wildlife and Wetland Trust. There was a statue of Sir Peter Scott near the entrance, though I’m not sure he would have approved of the reserve’s rampant commercialism. I paid my money (more than I’ve had to pay for any recent day’s bird watching) and escaped to a distant bird hide.

Highlight: two male ruffs in gorgeous breeding plumage (both very different: one pale ruff, the other a deep purple). Their feathers said “look at me!”. Their behaviour, in contrast, seemed unobtrusive, discreet. They were busy feeding in shallow water, rather than wowing a potential mate. Maybe the plumage has already served its purpose and the birds will soon be back to their more usual, more sedate colouration. In the meantime they were quietly spectacular!