Arriving at the Grove Ferry entrance gate
at 5.00 this morning the skies were clear with the stars shining and both
Jupiter and Neptune on show. It was a windless morning although the clouds did
slowly move in from the west but it remained a mostly sunny day and the wind
got to a brisk south westerly, it was 10 degrees on arrival and 21 degrees when
I left. From the Viewing Ramp a Greenshank was heard but it never came to the
pool while 3 Little Egrets flew out over the Grove Ferry Pub and another 7
landed on the pool. Three Grey Herons were chasing one and other around, the
Ruff was still on the spit with 79 Lapwings, 3 Black-tailed Godwits were
feeding at the back of the pool, a juvenile Little Grebe flew in while 3 Marsh
Harriers left roost, a Water Rail showed in the left corner and 2 Green Sandpipers
were on the small amount of mud along the spit.
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| Marsh Harrier |
Rather later than expected the
juvenile Purple Heron arose from the right side of the hidden right pool, flew
across the main pool and dropped out of sight on one of the hidden back pools
at 6.17am. Because something had disturbed the Ducks there was not as many on
the pool this morning although at least 1 Wigeon was heard, 5 or more Garganey
were seen and 169 Teal counted, more did start dropping in through the morning
though. Very little at Feast hide except 2 more Black-tailed Godwits and,
possible, the same 2 Green Sandpipers.
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| Black-tailed Godwits |
There was nothing from Harrison’s Drove
hide but there were 2 Whinchats in the fields behind and a Common Swift
fluttered overhead.
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| Common Swift |
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| Greylag Geese |
The Greylag Geese started to fly in and 1 counted 338 over
and as I approached Middle Drove there were several Warblers and Tits moving
through the bushes south along the Drove towards the Orchard. I had got about
two thirds the way down the path seeing at least 4 Willow Warblers with several
Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Reed Warblers plus numerous Long-tailed Tits and
a few Blue Tits when, the raucous noise of the Greylags made look back towards
Grove. Everything was in the air, Ducks, Geese, Gulls, and Corvids and, being
mobbed by the Corvids was an Osprey, it then began hovering over the Feast hide
pool far too far away for a photo.
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| very distant heavily cropped Osprey |
I headed back through the field to the metal
bridge and although lost for a while relocated it flying upriver carrying a
fish and being pursued by Jackdaws, it then attempted to land on a couple of
telegraph poles but was seen of before landing in a tree on the north side of
the river.
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| Osprey still distant pursued by Jackdaws |
Later when I had reached the river the Osprey came overhead and
began to fish over Feast pool again before moving off south, all in all about
an hour was spent with the bird.
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| Osprey overhead on river bank opposite the David Feast hie |
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| Osprey overhead on river bank opposite the David Feast hie |
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| Osprey overhead on river bank opposite the David Feast hie |
As I walked up Harrison’s Drove searching for
the Osprey a Bittern flew from the west end of Feast poo lacross the back and
dropping in behind the tree to the right of the hide, if there had been a
photographer in the hide they could of achieved some superb shots of the Osprey
and probably the Bittern sadly, I was not. A Sparrowhawk and 8 Snipe were the
only other additions to the days tally.
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| Osprey overhead on river bank opposite the David Feast hie |
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| Osprey overhead on river bank opposite the David Feast hie |
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| Osprey overhead on river bank opposite the David Feast hie |
