Sunday, April 12, 2015

Enjoyably Hectic!

After seeing a report of an Osprey at Brandon Marsh Saturday evening don't ask me why I didn't head over at first light this morning, there was obviously every chance it would still be there. Instead I decided on a dawn search of the marina grounds and surrounding fields for spring arrivals.

Record Shot of today's Osprey - Thanks to John Osbourne from the Brandon Team for the image!
Thanks to phone calls and texts from Richard Mays and Denis Woodward informing me the bird was showing well I finally headed off. As I came through the locked gate about thirty minutes later I thought I was hearing things when a Cuckoo was clearly calling from the 'Tip' area. Intent on bagging the Osprey I made my way straight down to the 'Olive Bench' were thankfully the bird was still there and Jim and the chaps had the scopes trained already. While enjoying the Osprey another year first was a Sedge Warbler singing from just below, in fact there were two.

Lots of Willow Warblers around today! This one in the gorse!
A walk over to the 'Tip' area a little later in search of the Cuckoo proved fruitless. Although some of the guys had heard it from somewhere near River Pool, which makes me think it had probably moved over towards Alban's reedbed. The circuit of the tip and the farm area produced several Willow Warblers and a couple of rarities for Brandon in the shape of three Rooks over and a single Red-legged Partridge along the track. As we passed the farm a group of eleven Linnets and good views of the Osprey overhead, which had took flight around 8.30am and drifted over towards the A46.

Back at East Marsh Hide a Yellow Wagtail on the Islands and many Swallows and Sand Martins but I missed a single House Martin over the pools after I'd headed off for a well deserved coffee! Oh yes and among all this Jim, Derek and I managed to repair the steps to the Ted Jury Hide on a very hectic and enjoyable morning!