Drive By Birding - Marshside area 23/01/20 and 31/01/20

With walking proving to be a decidedly problematic, for any distance, we had a couple of brief trips bird watching from the car and visiting various stopping points in the Marshside area. Overall it proved to be fairly quiet but both visits were enjoyable.

On the 23rd a Grey Squirrel scolded as I looked up at a Fieldfare (90) perched high above me. It was nice to be able to finally catch up with one for the month. I could hear more Fieldfare calling from the apple orchard. Before moving on a small mushroom caught my eye, tucked away in the undergrowth.

Fieldfare

A little further along a Common Buzzard soared in the distance and I could see a male Marsh Harrier quartering a distant field edge. Blue Tits and Great Tits called away and a Greenfinch (91) was another welcome addition for the month.

I enjoyed watching a pair of Mute Swan down one of the dykes, while down another of the dykes the mirror calm water gave great reflections.

Mute Swans

Dyke - Marshside

On the 31st we had a short drive round Chitty Lane and got lovely, if brief, views of a Merlin (92) flashing through. Well chuffed at seeing that things suddenly got even better when I caught sight of an Egret flying parallel to us and could see that it was a Great White Egret (93). Now that definitely made my day. The only downside was that as I was on my way back from a hospital appointment I did not have my camera, and I would have really loved a photo as it was a super view of a great bird. Still, it did at least mean that I could just enjoy watching it. It was heading in the direction of Stodmarsh, presumably to roost. It made a great end to what had not been one of the better days.