Friday 13 July 2012

A tour of local patches.

As soon as I'd got over the shock of waking up to a sunny and warm morning on Thursday I made plans to do a tour of some local patches feeling sure I would be able to find some decent birds to point the camera at.

The plan was to go over to Brandon Marsh first mainly because I hadn't been there for quite a while now and even if there were no birds to see I could have a chat to the pretty waitress.I would then head to Berkswell where I hoped to find the Spotted Flycatchers again and then I would head down the road to Marsh Lane to see if the very shy Black-necked Grebes had become brave and were a bit nearer to the hide.

Started walking round Brandon not long after 9.00AM and although two hours later I'd not used the camera once it had been very enjoyable walking round in the warm sunshine for a change.There was only one birder in the Carlton hide when I arrived there and he was very grumpy not having seen anything all morning.He was even more delighted than me when a Kingfisher turned up for a short visit.This KF was the first I'd seen from the Carlton hide for many months.















I then headed off to Berkswell and entered the churchyard not long after 1.00PM.I soon found the Spotted Flycatchers but they were spending all the time in the trees.











After half an hour when the SF's had not made a single visit to where I reckoned the nest was and were remaining in the trees I realised the reason why.The chicks had fledged!!!!! Once my slow brain had taken this on board I began to pick up the chicks calling out deep in the trees and set out to try for a shot or two.This was not easy to say the least but I was lucky to get a clear shot of one.















I then went down the road to Marsh Lane to have another go at the BNG's but when I entered the hide I was told the they had flown.Bugger!!!!! They had been there for 10 days and I'd not got one decent shot.

The only other moment of interest was when a Hobby flew along the car park pool but instead of staying for a while it immediately disappeared out of site over Sidden wood.

2 comments:

boatbirder said...

Lovely shots of the young Flycatchers Max!!! Well Done

Max Silverman said...

Cheers Keith.