A QUICK VISIT TO MARSH LANE.

A discussion at a chance meeting a few weeks ago with a friend and Canon camera enthusiast Mike Lane sowed a seed in my mind that grew and grew.Mike had sold all his high end Canon kit and had gone mirrorless.If Mike had done this it must be the way to go.

So I have just sold all my Canon kit : A 4 year old 7Dii camera and a very old Canon 400 prime lens for decent money and have ordered a Panasonic DC 9G camera and a Leica 100- 400 zoom lens.The new kit is smaller and lighter and has a better reach.Only time will tell if it's been the right move.

So this morning when I went to Marsh Lane all I was armed with was an old bridge camera and of course for the first time in a while there were some decent birds about.Three Yellow Wagtails, a Tree Pipit, a Wheatear and a Greenshank.

Not only was the bridge camera a bit down market but I'd forgotten how to use it.I did manage some shots of the Greenshank.

SLIM PICKINGS DOWN THE LOCAL PATCH.

Been down to Marsh Lane a couple of times since the last post but to be quite honest it's been hard work to find something decent to photograph.

Mind you I was unlucky on Monday morning when we found a couple of Greenshanks on the RW pool but they always remained distant and soon flew off South.An hour later we found another one on the Reedbed pool but again it was distant and this one also soon flew off.So no shots. Oh Dear ! ! 

The only shots taken were of a lone Green Sandpiper and that was distant as well.

NEWS FROM THE BACK GARDEN

Pretty quiet hear which is disappointing considering I've erected a fine bird restaurant.All I'm getting is quite a few LT Tits when the roaming mixed Tit flock decides to call in for a snack.

A SHORT VISIT TO THE LOCAL PATCH.

Hadn't been out with the camera for a few days as cutting down a small tree in the back garden (it was in the way of the new bird feeders) put my back out again.Will I ever learn.

Went down to Marsh Lane this morning getting there at 7.30 AM.It was sunny but a bit chilly.It was very quiet with nothing decent on show but I did get a Blackcap shot along the causeway.

At the far end of the marsh from the Oak hide this Grey Heron with a large fish flew in to break the boredom.

The fish which I think was a Tench was very much still alive and after 10 minutes of the Heron trying to position it to eat it was dropped.The fish did a couple of flips on the ground and then into the water and swam away.Lucky escape. 

After a stay of an hour the back was beginning to protest so I decided to leave but not before coming onto a party of 4 Green Woodpeckers on the car park grass bank.Impossible to get close to I did manage a few shots of one of them. 

NEWS FROM THE BACK GARDEN.

Am getting a few visitors on the feeders but only when the large mixed flock of Tits shows up and then ony LT Tits and Blue Tits.

Most birds on the feeders at one time is 12 nearly all LT Tits.Total of different birds to date remains at 7 with the top bird so far is a Nuthatch.

SAND MARTIN ATTEMPTED FLIGHT SHOTS.

Been out a few times since my last post mainly down to Marsh Lane.Yesterday's Dunlin was too distant to get a shot off and I got there this morning a few minutes too late and missed a Wood Sandpiper that was on the CP pool very briefly.

The only fun to be had was trying to get flight shots of the few remaining Sand Martins.Very tricky as they fly around so fast and you need bright sunshine behind you else you get silhouettes all the time.Here a few of the better efforts. 

Among all the crappographs was this gem.My first ever Sand Martin flight food pass.

NEWS FROM THE BACK GARDEN.

In order to improve my chances of getting some birds into the garden I have erected an old bird feeder frame.

The new set up has done quite well the Tit flock that tours my area of Knowle calls in for a feed at the new local bird restaurant.The flock is mainly of LT Tits ,a few Blue Tits and a lone Coal Tit. So fingers crossed for the future.

THE BACK GARDEN.

My back garden in Knowle till a couple of years ago was great for birds especially in the Winter but the last few years things have gone right down the tubes.

I used to see Siskins, Redpolls, Blackcaps and Bramblings but lately even the more common birds have rarely visited. To try and improve matters I recently invested in a bird table shown below.The battens have been added by me to keep out the damn Wood Pigeons.

The new bird table and feeders have been up and running for nearly a fortnight now but as far as I can see no birds have visited.This all changed yesterday late afternoon when a Tit flock came into the garden feeding on the trees.

A Long-tailed Tit was seen on a nearby bush.

A juvenile Long-tailed Tit was on the fencing

One of my statues had a visitor which I'm sure was hoping a mess wouldn't be left behind.

The feeders were visited by a Coal Tit ,a few Bluetits ,a few LT Tits ,a Great Tit and surprisingly a Nuthatch that soon left.No birds visited today so far but I am glad at least the duck is broken.

MORE SAND MARTINS.

Went down to Marsh Lane again this morning getting there early at 7.15 AM to try and find the Whinchat I lost so quickly the day before.

After a lengthy search I drew a blank.In fact I had a very quiet walk round and it was only the Sand Martins around the CP hide saved the morning for me.

Only about half a dozen perched on the fence wires whilst I was there. No Swallows and only one House Martin.

Plenty of chances to get some decent shots of these cracking birds.

SAND MARTIN FEST AT MARSH LANE.

Went to the local patch again this morning getting there at 8.00 AM. It was gloomy and much cooler than of late .There was no one else there.The signs were not good for a good visit and then to make matters worse the CP hide was closed the floor had been painted.

Was cheered up a bit when my young friend the Cetti's Warbler showed in the reeds from the causeway hide.

There was a flock of a dozen House Martins along the streamline trees but it was too gloomy to get any shots.Things looked very quiet from the Oak hide (Did have a KF flypast though) but just as I was about to move on a bird dropped in on the reeds to the front right of the hide.It was a Whinchat. Wow ! ! I grabbed the camera just as it dropped down into the undergrowth.Never saw it again despite searching everywhere so no shots.I was not a happy bunny.

Back in the car park I was amazed too see how many Sand Martins were zooming around the path to the CP hide.They perched on the fence wires several times and I managed a few shots.I counted 75 on the fence and with others flying around I reckon the were well over a 100 there on this CP pool area alone. 

I found it hard to get many of them in focus at the same time when they were perched but I hope these shots give an idea of the numbers.

Took a few single bird shots.Cracking birds.