Fowl Tales 2011 ...and so it begins... courting moorhens

At last, a mating pair of moorhens at Greenhill, well if not mating, certainly courting pair.    I heard her first, the females high call.  I spotted her just peeping out from behind a concrete slab, right up near the moored barges.  She was clearing calling to the male who, about the old turning point, responded with a much lower call.  She kept it up until he, taking his time about it, came across to her.  After their initial greeting, (reminisce of Romeo and Juliet), she came out and lead him along the shore a little before starting a ‘chase me chase me’ attempt in and out of the grassy tummocks there.  He was having none of it and stayed on the shore while she continued her calling and popping her head up above the grass from time to time to check where he was.  He eventually took to the water leaving her to wander back down to the shore and watch his departing white tail feathers.  It is early days and no sign of energetic nest building yet but that is something to look forward to.  The photos aren’t brilliant, lots of camera shake as I was hand-holding my 300mm lens NOTE TO SELF ‘get the tripod out for further visits!



female coyly peeping out as she called to her mate





Male arrives - "I'm here - but I took my own sweet time"





"Well Hello Big Boy"



"Chase me, Chase me"





"Like That is going to happen! Watch my tail feathers"





"Spoilsport"