A former opencast mine for many years and now a restored wonderful nature reserve with serval large pools, lakes ditches and muddy scrapes.
The bird was on Cattle Gate Pool, where it shared the muddy scrape with a wood sand, a couple of spoonbill, yellow wags and greenshank.
This starling sized birds resembles the water rail, but is smaller, has a much shorter beak, and is a more uniform olive brown in colouring, with white dots scattered all over its plumage.
Famous for being masters of concealment, these shy and elusive birds can be particularly hard to see amongst the reds and muddy edges of lakes, but not here.
This individual was happy coming out into the open and feeding along the muddy banks of a small pool, alongside the coots and waders.
Great to see.
