Sunday, January 24, 2016

Diary Entry #10

After a report of a Barn Owl sunning itself on one of the boxes on Farm Field I've tried a couple of early visits to Brandon Marsh to see if I could connect but to no avail. The last sighting of a Barn Owl at Brandon to my knowledge was way back in June 2015 after the population crash, so a sighting would be most welcome!

Brace of Snipe in the dull conditions at East Marsh Hide!
Not a bad visit this morning with the highlights on the pools: (2) Little Egret on Teal Pool, (3) Goosander, a male and two female on East Marsh Pool, along with (2) Great Crested Grebe , (4) Shelduck, all male and a brilliant count of (23) Pochard, which included four males. A couple of Water Rail were feeding for a long period in the channel and (2) Snipe were also showing well right in front of the East Marsh Hide. At one point a Cetti's Warbler flew from left to right across the gap. Over on Wigeon Bank a female Muntjac Deer passed through, shortly followed by a male. As we passed by the Carlton Ditch a Peregrine was on the hunt overhead and finally a sighting of Willow Tit, having only heard one last week! Lesser Redpoll and Siskin also recorded during the visit and a nice surprise was a Marsh Tit at the Café, which kept coming down for brief visits to the feeders while we were having coffee!

Brambling just above my feeders!
At the marina on Saturday morning while sitting watching my feeders I managed to snap the back end of a Brambling from the window but no sign since!