Post by ianr on Feb 19, 2018 9:59:01 GMT
Trip out to our usual east coast walk on Sunday expecting lots on the strand line only to find almost nothing barr a few razor shells and weed.
Bright side, one grey seal the usual gulls and a few small waders running around like little clock work toys.
Onward to a reserve a few miles up the road and things started to look up, fields with small groups of curlew and lapwings lot of ducks.
At the reserve walked straight up to the viewing point over the salt marsh and had good views of a marsh harrier putting up ducks by the dozen.
A small flock 20ish of medium sized waders long bills probably godwit I'm not good with waders must try harder
Large skein of geese 200+ to far off to ID
Skylarks singing and reed buntings twittering about in the shrubs
But best of all and a first for me a whinchat I know it's out of season and I've never seen one before but I'm sure that's what it was.
At first I thought it was a reed bunting but looking through binoculars albeit briefly, only 20/25m away the pale orangey breast and eye stripe were clear to see. Also checked my bird book 10 minutes later when I returned to the car.
It was resting on tall grass stems and low hawthorn branches, diving into the long grass feeding.
One of the few days when I didn't take a proper camera out with me
ian
PS. could have been a stonechat
Bright side, one grey seal the usual gulls and a few small waders running around like little clock work toys.
Onward to a reserve a few miles up the road and things started to look up, fields with small groups of curlew and lapwings lot of ducks.
At the reserve walked straight up to the viewing point over the salt marsh and had good views of a marsh harrier putting up ducks by the dozen.
A small flock 20ish of medium sized waders long bills probably godwit I'm not good with waders must try harder
Large skein of geese 200+ to far off to ID
Skylarks singing and reed buntings twittering about in the shrubs
But best of all and a first for me a whinchat I know it's out of season and I've never seen one before but I'm sure that's what it was.
At first I thought it was a reed bunting but looking through binoculars albeit briefly, only 20/25m away the pale orangey breast and eye stripe were clear to see. Also checked my bird book 10 minutes later when I returned to the car.
It was resting on tall grass stems and low hawthorn branches, diving into the long grass feeding.
One of the few days when I didn't take a proper camera out with me
ian
PS. could have been a stonechat
