After a small curry and chips (must watch the waistline you know) from Newburn Chippy I spent an hour at Reeth Pond (apparently should be spelled Reigh and also known as Throckley Pond). It's a fishing pond managed as part of Newburn Country Park located one field north of Blayney Row and accessed by footpath from there, Heddon Haugh or the bank top road. Long and thin with high trees on the south side and scrubby path with fishing platforms on the north it can appear a bit scruffy but is a bit of a gem although not always for photography due to the reduced light levels.
I can generally guarantee a Kingfisher sighting but nearly always as a one off passing turquoise streak in the murk. This occurred almost immediately I arrived and then again a moment later. As I peered what would be downstream, another bird another whizzed past my elbow. I walked down the path picking up two young Little Grebe being fed by an adult, two Mallard families, the ubiquitous Moorhen and accompanied by singing Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Robin and Garden Warbler the brief views continued, 8 times and not a shot taken!
At the west end where there is a larger area of water where I found an adult Kingfisher perched on a post just below my feet but it flew off to where I had just come from before the camera even reached the eye and followed by a second with a third calling on the far bank. A family party I assume. Trying a different approach I settled down at one of the fishing platforms and waited but to no avail. Perhaps it was the white shirt but the birds demonstrated great aplomb at approaching up the pond then diverting off over trees when they saw me.
Photography results next to nil as none of Kingfisher and most of the Little Grebe shots trashed. Worth a return in bright sunny weather when even if no birds are on view it's a good place to photograph coarse fishes basking or perched Dragonflies assuming it ever gets warm this year.
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