Monday, March 27, 2017

Diary Update #16

⛅  Thursday 23rd March 2017 ~ Spent my time with the conservation team thinning out Silver Birch in the top wood, still clearing up post Storm Doris! After work a walk around New Hare Covert and along to East Marsh hide produced a Red Kite, when one drifted over Ted Jury hide before heading off towards the airport.

Comma ~ Year First
🔆💨 Friday 24th March 2017 ~ A brisk easterly wind likely reduced the odds of any summer migrants appearing at Brandon Marsh today but a pleasant visit and quite warm in the sheltered areas. Two new year-firsts  in the form of Small Tortoiseshall and Comma butterflies. A Willow Tit near the Carlton ditch was a birding highlight!

Fieldfare still passing through!
🔆💨 Sunday 26th March 2017 ~ The brisk easterly wind and high pressure continues so it was no surprise that this mornings Brandon Marsh visit produced little. Only highlights were (3) Great Crested Grebe, single Redshank, (2) Oystercatcher, injured Goosander and the long staying Dunlin. A Ringed Plover dropped in mid morning and lone Redwing was worth noting! Dee and I had a walk in the late afternoon around Napton Reservoir and Calcutt Locks. A single Sand Martin, Grey Wagtail and (7) Fieldfare noted.

Record shot of one of two separate Little Gulls at Brandon Monday!
🌫  Monday 27th March 2017 ~ After rescuing a fellow moorer who'd locked herself out of her boat I arrived at Brandon Marsh a little later than anticipated! Thankfully a Black-tailed Godwit, which Fred Stokes had kindly texted me about earlier was still on site. In fact it turned out to be an extremely good visit, this despite the low cloud and nagging easterly wind. At least two Little Gulls on East Marsh Pool, one mid morning and a second later in the day. The latter was still on site when I left around 3:30pm. At 12:25hrs a large raptor was noted over Newlands and turned out to be a Marsh Harrier, best guess at distance would be an adult female? the bird circled over the reedbeds for a short while before moving south!

Little Gull ~ Different bird to the above!
Once again I've posted my notable sightings for the day on Jeff's Unofficial Guide To Brandon which can be found HERE..