It was cracking weather on Saturday but as so often happens when the weather is ideal for photographing birds you can struggle to find anything to shoot.This certainly happened when I arrived pretty early at Brandon Marsh in brilliant sunshine because despite walking round nearly everywhere on the reserve I was hardly using the camera.
I spent over an hour waiting patiently for the Cetti's Warbler to show on one of it's favourite bushes but on the two times it did someone was walking by and it cleared off.It was that sort of day.I even had a go at getting shots of 4 Swifts that were whizzing round the Newlands.What a game that is.
The morning was saved somewhat when in the centre courtyard I noticed a Grey Wagtail on the roof carrying food .As I was taking some shots another turned up also carrying food so they obviously had young somewhere close.What was a big surprise was that the nest was in one of the planters in the courtyard.What a bad place to choose.
The birds didn't seem too worried by a couple of birders and three photographers all well back from the nest area watching their antics.They would drop off the roof walk along the courtyard and hop into the planter.Great to watch.
Things went down the pan when about 20 young children suddenly appeared burst through the gate and flooded into the courtyard.Their minders did not appear to be able to control them and when we told them of the nesting birds all we got was a shrug of the shoulders.The birds of course would not now come down to the nest and appeared to be distressed.I hope the children soon left.I did.
I then headed over to Marsh Lane to assist in the annual bird count competition held with other local patches.They'd already got up to 85 when I got there including an Osprey and despite me having a good look round I was unable to add to that total.Non surprise there.
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