I had a rare complete day off today, without any other commitments, so I thought I would spend a day walking through from Grove Ferry to Stodmarsh.
I arrived early on a frosty but beautiful morning. I could hear Bullfinches calling and 2 males and 2 females paused briefly before carrying on. I tried for a photo of a male but it was too obscured by branches. Luckily a female popped up briefly into the open. It was a little distant but I was pleased to try it.
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| Frosty Grove Ferry |
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| Bullfinch |
All the usual little jobs were around. A Dunnock posed very nicely in the sunshine in between having a preen.
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| Dunnock |
I did have a look from the viewing platform but was looking directly into the light. I could see 150 Lapwing but couldn't really make out much more so I carried on towards the David Feast hide. I liked the frost on the reeds. I got a lovely view of a Kingfisher hovering but was not quick enough to get a photo. I also heard a Water Rail call. As I approached the hide I could hear a Cetti's warbler calling but could not manage to see it.
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| Frost on reed |
There was a lot of activity from the hide with 2 Mute Swan, 130 Teal, 30 Gadwall, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Shoveler, 7 Coot and a Black-tailed Godwit all giving some lovely views in the sunshine.
I enjoyed watching the Gadwall. They are pretty duck in an understated kind of way and the male's black bill and vent are striking. I was pleased to get an opportunity for a flight shot as well. The white speculum in flight is quite striking.
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| Gadwall |
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| Gadwall pair and reflections |
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| Gadwall male |
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| Gadwall in flight |
A single Little Grebe showed briefly, as did a sub adult Shoveler.
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| Little Grebe |
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| Shoveler and Gadwall |
I was pleased to see a pair of Tufted Duck (93) but could not really manage much of a photo. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the coot. It is incredible the way that they run on the water. And today there was a lot of that going on as there was a particularly either aggressive or amorous one that kept chasing the others, laying low in the water as it came in to attack. In between they settled to feed.
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| Coot |
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| Coot running on water |
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| Coot eating water weed |
A single Black-tailed Godwit (94) showed well on the island. Every now and then it would preen and then wing stretch.
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| Black-tailed Godwit |
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| Black Tailed Godwit feeding |
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| Black-tailed Godwit wing stretch - underwing |
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| Black-tailed Godwit wing stretch - upperwing |
A couple of Greylag Geese flew in, one of which gave a good view of the upperwing markings as they did so. The one that settled on the island gave some nice views and started to preen.
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| Greylag Geese in flight |
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| Greylag Goose |
A flock of 30 Lapwing came in and swooped and tumbled in the air. They were so fast that I could not manage to get on them quick enough but I really enjoyed watching them. The flash of dark and light as they twist and turn is impressive, to say the least.
I had thoroughly enjoyed my time in the hide but it was time to move on so I headed along to the Harrison hide. I heard a Marsh Harrier call, it was soaring high above me and called frequently. A Common Buzzard was mobbed by a Black-headed Gull as it flew through. There was nothing from the hide apart from some Mallard at the back so I had a walk along the path.
I caught sight of what I am sure was a Bearded Tit disappearing into the reeds but couldn't pick it up again. The colour of them is so distinctive. There was a flooded field that looked good but I could not see anything much on it but could hear multiple Skylarks calling from it. A Reed Bunting gave a lovely view. 18 Meadow Pipit were alternating between the trees and the field and though it was distant I tried for a shot of the least obscured one, as it was singing away.
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Meadow Pipit singing |
I made my way through towards the Marsh hide and heard another couple of Cetti's warblers calling. It was quite quiet from the hide. There was a Grey Heron at the back and a Snipe flew across near it. 4 Lapwing were dotted around and a single Water Pipit (95) was on the far island. I tried for some photos but it really was too far to be able to get anything much, apart from a memory shot. I was pleased to see it though. I enjoyed watching a Marsh Harrier and it provided another opportunity for a memory shot.
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| Water Pipit |
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| Marsh Harrier |
I carried on towards Stodmarsh. I met another birdwatcher who said to keep an eye out for a Little Owl as it was near the barn, so I did and I got a lovely, if distant, view. Lots of singing was coming from the wood. I could hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and a Green Woodpecker yaffling. A couple of Chiffchaff were calling. Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tit were all very active.
Maria arrived in the car park as I reached it and we headed on to the Reedbed hide. There were a few Teal dotted around and some Shoveler gave good, if distant, views of their upperwing pattern.
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| Shoveler in flight |
I was very lucky as a Marsh Harrier flew past close to the hide on several occasions and I tried for some flight shots. I do struggle to be able to capture anything in flight successfully but I enjoy trying and these birds were closer than I normally see them. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Marsh Harrier - close encounter |
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| Marsh Harrier - eye to eye |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Marsh Harrier - another close encounter |
Some Mute Swan flew in and I enjoyed trying for some shots of them landing.
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| Mute Swans landing |
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| Mute Swans landing |
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| Mute Swan landing |
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| Mute Swan splash down |
Once they had landed the 2 adults displayed to each other with the ?immature, that was with them, joining in and doing the same display movements. The 3rd bird appeared a fair bit smaller and I could not work out why, presumably it is a youngster and perhaps isn't quite full build yet. The reflections in the water today were beautiful.
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| Mute Swans courtship display - three's a crowd |
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| Mute Swans courtship display |
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| Mute Swan and reflection |
A Greylag Goose arrived and had a short swim round before giving some stunning views as it flew towards and then passed over the top of the hide.
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| Greylag Goose |
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| Greylag Goose - incoming |
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| Greylag Goose - fly over |
A pair of Crested Grebe swam into the bay and started to display but then stopped and swam back out. They are striking birds.
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| Great Crested Grebes |
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| Great Crested Grebes courtship display |
A Snipe was tucked in at the back but after a while moved nearer. As time went on more moved out from cover and in the end I saw 4 but none of them came very close.
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| Snipe |
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| Snipe - wash and brush up |
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| Snipe |
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| Snipe wing stretch |
What a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I had thoroughly enjoyed my visit and finished off with a very close Robin. It was in poor light but they are such lovely birds that I tried for a shot anyway.
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| Robin |
Birds seen this visit include: 4 Robin, 5 Dunnock, 2 Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, 4 Song Thrush, 4 Bullfinch 2 male and 2 female, 8 Reed Bunting, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Mallard, 150 Lapwing, 2 Water Rail, 2 Greylag Geese, 1 Kingfisher, 8 Marsh Harrier, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 30 Gadwall, 180 Teal, 1 Little Grebe, 7 Coot, 4 Mute Swan, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Tufted Duck, 22 Shoveler, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Rook, 3 Skylark, 56 Fieldfare, Goldfinch, 18 Meadow Pipit, 1 Stonechat, 15 Linnet, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Bearded Tit, 4 Moorhen, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Little Owl, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Treecreeper, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, 5 Snipe
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