More Drive By Birding - Local Areas 12th, 19th and 21st February 2020

On the 12th we paid a short visit to Marshside. It was very quiet for birds overall but I enjoyed watching a Mute Swan drifting slowly down the dyke that runs alongside the road and watching the reflection change as it was broken up by the ripples in the water.

Mute Swan

A pair of Song Thrush were busy feeding in a partially flooded grassy area and both were proving to be very adept at catching small worms and packed away a surprising number of them while I was watching.

Song Thrush

Song Thrush

Song Thrush

Song Thrush

We finished with a smart male Marsh Harrier flying parallel to the road. They are beautiful birds and always a joy to watch.

male Marsh Harrier

On the 19th at Chambers Wall I enjoyed watching a Chaffinch and a couple of Dunnocks that were feeding by a small puddle. Though at one point one of the Dunnocks appeared to size the Chaffinch up it did not chase it, as I have seen them do in the past, but instead went back to feeding. Again, it was nice to be able to just spend some time enjoying good views of some very obliging birds. One of the Dunnocks was ringed.

Chaffinch and Dunnock

Chaffinch and Dunnock

Dunnock

Dunnocks

We paid another short visit to Marshside on the 21st and at the first pull in point a Rat was feeding amongst the grass by the dyke. It appeared to be pretty unconcerned by the traffic passing by. A couple of Moorhen were feeding at the field edge and as a Common Buzzard passed overhead all dived for cover.

Brown Rat

125 Fieldfare were in the bushes bordering the apple orchard but I could not see any Redwing amongst them. A couple of Greenfinch were a little further along and a Green Woodpecker was calling away noisily. 7 Moorhen were in one area of the dyke with another 5 further along. At one point a disagreement broke out and in a flurry of wings the chase was on.

Moorhens

The visits were all pretty quiet for birds but each had allowed time to just enjoy whatever I could see.