Failure at Brandon Marsh.

Early Saturday morning the sun was shining so off I dashed to Brandon Marsh getting there just before 8.00AM the plan being to race down to the Carlton hide and try and get some shots of the Nightingale.

It was a good plan except for two things the first was that just as my back was getting better I'd twisted my knee so the best I could manage was a hobble and the second was the path had very surprisingly  re-flooded (it had been passable apparently the previous couple of days).My wellies are small ones and according to those who had made it to the hide you needed big ones as the water is some parts was very deep.

I then had no choice but to walk round the Newlands.At the back of the Wright hide I heard a Lesser Whitethroat calling but all I could manage were these crappographs.Not an easy bird to get a decent shot of.Well not for me.

Later on I caught up with a Garden Warbler but all I could manage was this poor effort.

I was not doing to well with the camera so to get my confidence back I went after some easy targets.The first was a Barnacle Goose on the golf course which will not move unless hit by a golf ball.The second was a Willow Warbler that was posing for shots by the sheepfield.

In the cafe it was very nice to chat to the waitress again (she'd been to Uganda doing missionary work) but when some friends who'd made it to the Carlton hide turned up and showed me their morning's shots of the Nightingale and of a Cetti's Warbler I became depressed again.I hope it stays till the weather improves.