Slaugham Lake

We returned to Slaugham lake today (pronounced Sloffam). It's an idyllic setting in the Sussex countryside, very peaceful with barely anyone around. it makes a change from the much busier coastal locations.

No kingfisher photos today (I saw one but all too briefly), but there were other good sightings. Once again the treecreepers played hide and seek in the woodland shade.

Numerous dragonflies were equally evasive, flitting between the reeds or resting in the shallows. This first is (I think) a southern hawker.

And this is (again a somewhat tentative identification) a female brown hawker.

I may have failed with the kingfisher, but the female great spotted woodpecker was a little more cooperative this time, perching out in plain view. She wasn't there long, but it was long enough.

There are surprisngly few ducks on the lake, but we did see a pair of herons and some great crested grebes. The other ever-present species are sparrows; so many of them that it's impossible to move without a flurry of feather appearing from the hedgerow. These three decided to pose on an overhanging branch.

I'll close with a shot of the small (disused?) boathouse.

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Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens, with the exception of the first image which was taken with the EF17-40mm f/4L USM lens.
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This Post Has 10 Comments

  1. gdare

    1 Sep 2011

    Dragonflies and sparrows – that made my day :cheers:

  2. SittingFox

    1 Sep 2011

    You can really see in the second photo just how well treecreepers blend into their backgrounds.

  3. RobinL

    1 Sep 2011

    Words, great shots. Such a pretty looking place!

  4. Words

    6 Sep 2011

    Robin, thanks! It was so peaceful there as well. Hardly anyone around. Perfect!

  5. Words

    6 Sep 2011

    Neil, I was banking on you correcting me. At least I got the 'hawker' bit right. 😉 Cheers :cheers:

  6. Ukwildlife

    6 Sep 2011

    Great stuff. Your first dragon is a male migrant hawker though 🙂

  7. Words

    6 Sep 2011

    Erwin, thanks!

  8. Words

    6 Sep 2011

    Adele, the treecreepers are wonderfully well camouflaged. If they kept still I doubt you'd see them at all.

  9. Words

    6 Sep 2011

    Darko, it was really lovely spot. Not too far from where I live so I hope to get there again.

  10. Wulpen

    19 Oct 2012

    Very great pict

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