First trip out for ages.

On Thursday morning I had my first trip out with the camera for ages.There are a few reasons I hadn't been out including Christmas family duties and the rotten weather  but the main one recently was the dreaded Man Flu.Mind you at first I didn't think it was Man Flu because the speed and severity it hit me lead me initially to believe it was the Zaire strain of Ebola fever.Luckily this was not true.

So on Thursday morning still feeling grotty I forced my self out and drove over to Marsh Lane.There were loads of birds on the Car Park pool but I could find nothing decent.I had a good look at the Reed Bed pool where the Bittern has been seen recently but had no luck.

The Railway pool was also very busy with loads of Ducks,Gulls,Geese etc. but yet again I could not find anything interesting.The Marsh was very quiet with no sign of the Jack Snipe or Water Rail.My luck changed when I checked out the Oak feeders and a female Brambling appeared briefly on the barbed wire.I was very pleased to get some shots as I hadn't seen one for a couple of years now.

Feeling dead on my feet now (What a wimp) I headed back to the car park.Luckily I decided to have a last look in the Car Park hide because I bumped into John Oates.John is always nice to meet up with so you can catch up with his latest birding trip (Egypt this time).John also pointed out to me a female Peregrine perched in a tree.The trouble was it was on the flood plane so was miles away.So only a crappograph.

A little later on we spotted the male Peregrine in another tree even further away.

You now have a reasonable chance at Marsh lane of getting decent shots of Peregrines so fingers crossed.