A morning at Brandon Marsh.

On Thursday morning I went across to Brandon Marsh getting there just before 10.00AM.I timed my arrival very well because I bumped into the pretty waitress just as the cafe was opening up and after a chat I was so cheered up I did not care too much if there was no birds about to point the camera at.

This was a good job because an hour's stay in the Steetly hide was dire with only a couple of Moorhens there.Things went further downhill when I saw that there were about a dozen volunteers on the East Marsh islands all armed with strimmers stripping the vegetation.

Luckily the Teal pool did have a bit of action.The 4 Green Sandpipers and a couple of Common Snipe were showing a bit distant but nice to see.A bit of a bonus was when a Muntjac showed for a while.

The Carlton hide was also very dire with only a couple of Coots showing.Only one other birder came in the hide and he cracked after 10 minutes and left after a very loud sigh.However just as I started to eat lunch a Jay dropped into the bushes to the left of the hide.Dropping everything I managed a few shots which pleased me no end as I struggle to get close to these chaps.

The only other bird I saw whilst in the Carlton hide was a distant Blackcap  which I think is a juvenile rather than a female.

Left click on shots to enlarge.

Grey Heron champion fisherman at Marsh Lane.

By Tuesday lunchtime needing a break from gardening I popped over to Marsh Lane.After an hour the only decent bird I'd seen was a Greenshank that very kindly landed near the Oak hide.

Back in the car park I was just about to leave when I noticed a couple of friends were in the car park hide so I went and joined them.During a chat we noticed that a Grey Heron that had been down the bank below us had caught something but we couldn't see what as it was hidden.Luckily it walked a little up the bank and this is what we saw.

It then put the fish ( A Tench ??) down on the grass and stabbed it.

As the fish was pretty big we thought it would have trouble swallowing it but no it went down in one quick go and I missed some fish in the mouth shots.

Left click on shots for a larger version.

Two threadbare local trips.

Early on Saturday morning I went across to Brandon Marsh but after nearly 4 hours I had done very badly with the camera but had done very well with the midges.They had managed to bite me wherever there was any bare skin.What a joy !!!!

The only time I had cause to use the camera was on 2 Green Sandpipers that were on the Teal Pool and on a Moorhen that was feeding a chick on the Carlton Pool and that was it.Not very good for nearly 4 hours.

Early on Sunday morning I popped over to Marsh Lane and again I did not do any good with the camera.There was very little about.A bit different to all the excitement last Sunday with the Pectoral Sandpiper.

The only time I used the camera was when a young Kestrel landed in an Oak tree and a Green Woodpecker showed very briefly and that was it.

A Couple of Greenshanks.

After Tuesday's excitement of seeing the Great White Egret at Grimley I decided to take it easy on the bird front on Wednesday.However when it brightened up after lunch I thought I'd have a quick look at Marsh Lane.

Got there just after 2.00PM and had the place to myself.Although it was very pleasant walking around in the sunshine it was very disappointing  on the bird front.I was just about to leave the Oak hide when from no where both the Greenshanks that have been around since Monday suddenly appeared and I was able to rattle off a few shots.Nice birds.

Wow !! A Life Tick.

Mid morning on Tuesday I got a life tick.Mind you it was about time as I hadn't had one for a long time now.

Thanks very much to my good friend Pete Walkden I had some excellent directions to a site at Grimley in Worcestershire where a Great White Egret had been seen for a couple of days now.I was very keen to see one because although I'd been birding for a few years now I'd never seen one and all my friends had.

Got to the site at just after 11.00AM and found both the car park spots empty.I had the place to myself.I went through the first gate and walked the few metres to the second gate where you can scan down to the flooded gravel pits/meadows way below.Straight away I saw a large white bird way off in the distance.Could it still be here?

I raced back to the car and grabbed the bins.Yes it was the GWE.A life tick !!!!!! That was quick I saw it within 10 seconds of getting there.Never done that before.

On the picture front I didn't do so well.It stayed way off in the distance not getting closer than 200 metres at best but for once I wasn't bothered I was just pleased to get a tick.Here are a couple of distant shots.

What struck me was what a big bird it was.You can see from these shots how big it was when next to other birds.

I even managed some distant flight shots.

A big bonus was when a Hobby suddenly showed up and started hawking for dragonflies.I managed my best Hobby shots of the year which isn't saying much as I've done very poorly with these chaps this year.

Marsh Lane.

Early this morning in order to beat the rain forecast mid morning I shot over to Marsh Lane to see if the Pectoral Sandpiper was still there.The sightings book soon dashed that as the bird had flown off yesterday afternoon.

The railway pool was filled with several hundred Greylag Geese including the strange hybrid Barnacle Goose.

The north causeway screen reed bed was alive with Reed Warblers.

I soon found a pair of waders on the railway pool which took me a while to ID as they were asleep and a fair way off but as soon as they moved I could see they were Greenshanks.Too far off for a decent shot but nice to see.

They eventually took off and headed north but I managed some gloomy flight shots before they disappeared.

An surprisingly decent morning.

Early Sunday morning I thought I'd better go out as I'd stayed in for a few days doing the garden.I decided to go out to Shustoke reservoir and not to go to Marsh Lane my usual Sunday morning haunt.This was nearly a major error.

Driving through Maxstoke I saw this chap just past the ruined abbey on a telegraph pole.First one I'd seen for a few years.Parked up went into stealth mode rattled off a couple of shots but it flew off. Bugger!!!!!

I didn't give up and located it again on top of one of the ruin walls.

Pushing my luck I got a bit closer and got a couple of the best Little Owl shots I've taken.

On the drive back I received a text from Nic Barlow :  " Temminck's Stint from Oak hide." Luckily Marsh Lane was on my way back so off I went.There were several of the local top birders in the hide when I walked in and they were in deep discussion re the bird's ID.My contribution was "Where exactly is the bird?"

It was decided that it was a Pectoral Sandpiper rather than a Temminck's but still a great bird and great to see.Far too far off for my lens to get a decent shot but here are a couple of record shots.

It flew around the railway pool a lot and I managed a couple of flight crappographs.