Yesterday was a grey, wet, drizzly kind of
day with little worth reporting and, so it was again today. A cold easterly
wind with a murky, grey, misty, drizzly outlook. Starting at the Ramp there
were 2 drake Wigeon, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard and a dozen Mallards. I quickly
moved on to Harrison’ which was also almost bird less but there were 2 drake
Garganey on the ‘White House’ pool at the end of Harrison’s. Next stop was
Marsh hide where most bird life appears to be this year along with the Water
Meadows. Three Little Egrets flew past as I was walking down and a 4th
was from the hide, a couple of Cetti’s Warbles sang out and there were 2
Shelduck and 50 Gadwall from the hide. Forty five minutes after entering the
hide I received a phone call from Pete Solly with ”have you got the Osprey”. He’d
just arrived at the Ramp to find one fishing in front of him only to drift of
south towards Preston. Sadly from Marsh hide the Grove end was shrouded in mist
and I could not locate the bird. Pete joined me a while later in Marsh hide and
50minutes after his sighting I picked up the Osprey distantly over Grove again
where it dived, caught a fish and came straight towards us, disappearing past
the hide and looking as if it would land somewhere around Stodmarsh lake with its
breakfast. We left the hide and headed through the Alder Wood to the Lampen
Wall where, with the help of Brendan who had now arrived, we relocated the
Osprey on a dead tree on the far side of Stodmarsh lake. Here it stayed for the
rest of the morning until it’s departure at 11.55am. A few other birds making
the note book included Reed and Sedge Warblers, Blackcap, Whitethroat and
Chiffchaff, 5 Grey Herons, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Bitterns (1 male), 3 Pied Wagtails and 4
Marsh Harriers. There was 1 Hobby, 4 Greenshank, 4 Ringed Plovers, 3 Redshank
and a Kingfisher plus a gathering of Swifts, Swallows and Martins feeding low
over the reserve.
 |
| Record shot of Osprey in the drizzle |
 |
| Record shot of Osprey in the drizzle |
 |
| Record shot of Osprey in the drizzle |
 |
| Record shot of Osprey in the drizzle |
