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19C Saturday 14th October 2017 ~ A gorgeous mild start with a pre-dawn temperature of 15C as I checked out the marina grounds for anything of interest. The
Pied Wagtail roost was dispersing with around twenty or so birds heading out, plus a couple of
Skylarks overhead, the usual hoards of Gulls heading out from Draycote Water and (2)
Meadow Pipits around the car park.
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| Meadow Pipit |
Arriving at Brandon Marsh just before 8am I decided to head straight down to East Marsh Hide for a look at the pools. A small movement of birds overhead, picking up (4)
Siskin, (3)
Skylark and (2)
Meadow Pipit, before I came across (4)
Redpoll feeding in the alder by Primrose Bank. Fred Stokes was in the hide when I arrived, informing me that a
Peregrine had flushed everything, including a
Ruff just prior to my arrival! Bummer, I've dipped on Ruff thus far this year at Brandon!
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| Marsh Harrier from the East Marsh Hide! |
Anyway, things improved for me a short while later when in from the east came a cream-headed
Marsh Harrier. The bird dropped down onto Newlands Reedbed and spent a short time down before flying off west over East Marsh Pool, providing a hastily taken photo opportunity!
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| Marsh Harrier |
Other notables of the visit:
Green Sandpiper, (2)
Snipe and a good number of
Wigeon, although I didn't make the count!
