Nearly two weeks since my last post and to be honest not much to report over that period. The Green-Winged Teal, on site at Brandon for nearly a fortnight, appears to have moved on with no reports for a while. Bittern sightings however are still coming in almost daily, no surprise then that the hoards of photographers have moved from the Carlton Hide to the Main Hide, where the majority of sightings are reported. A few Otter sightings across the reserve are also beginning to trickle in and I myself have also been shown some Otter Spraint, but as yet have failed to see one!This mornings misty and bitterly cold visit produced a few highlights but no sign of Thursday's reported Pintail, 2 Kingfisher, 3 Little Grebe, male and female Goldeneye, 6 Cettis heard, a lone Barnacle Goose and 7 Snipe, plus a good selection of Gulls with Herring, Common, Black Headed and Lesser Black Back on East Marsh Pool. What is also evident is that despite the weather spring appears to be in the air with species such as Song Thrush, Dunnock and Great Tits in full song. What was also a pleasure to see is the increasing amount of Bullfinch (pictured), one of my favourites, which must go down as yet another Brandon breeding success, I registered 10 birds this morning.
My local patch seems to have been more productive recently with Little Owl and Tawny Owl calling nightly, but my search for Long Eared Owl, which I heard over several mornings just before dawn has still drawn a blank. The Bittern reported in the reed bed by a fellow moorer during the cold snap remains a mystery, and once again my searches have been fruitless. The surrounding fields are producing good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare plus I registered 15 Mute Swan in a field just off the canal at Napton.
Farewell to my trusty Land Rover, well not so trusty recently, as sadly on Friday it departed me forever!!
