A Few Winter Visitors
I was standing in front of the lounge - window watching that cold northerly wind blow the leaves off -the pepper trees while a soggy - looking Blackredstart peeked in at me from the patio - wall.With the rain dripping from the wind - chimes my gaze wandered up over the trees in the lane where I could see a small flock of waders coming in low over the houses .Hopefully they were going to land and rest up on the marsh.That's the only excuse I needed,so it was "boots - on". I checked the batteries on the camera, as they will without doubt go flat just as I get set - up for that "one in a million" shot of a rarity no doubt.Arriving on the marsh it looked very quiet. Indeed,a couple of my bamboo - hides were looking a bit battered and sorry for themselves after last week's thunderstorms.I wandered to the far side of the marsh. slipping and sliding in the thick mud and wet grass,only to see 6 snipe flush from the reedbeds as I got close. Then some 14 Redshank and 8 Little stint took off from the shallows.I thought to myself, "I bet they were the group that flew over the house earlier".
Little gull in winter plumage
By this time that sky was looking pretty dark and the wind was picking up so I decided breakfast was the best idea.Not a bad result really for a cold winters morning.All I could
think of was, "Roll on spring and migration".
Fan tailed warbler
I then made my way back to the harbour - area as it really was getting muddy under foot. I could see the flock of coot were still present along with some Great egret, a few Flamingos and a solitary Little gull bouncing off the water, catching insects.
Lapwing in winter plumage
I decided to sit for a while in the top - hide as it was the only hide left that was "habitable".Just
as I got sorted a pair of Stonechat appeared in the reeds opposite,then some Reed Bunting
and 5 minutes later the prize bird of the day put in an appearance ;a bedraggled looking
Fan tailed warbler. This must be one of the most difficult birds to photograph, due to its
constant movement and switching from reed to reed.
Whinchat
I then made my way back to the harbour - area as it really was getting muddy under foot, I could see the flock of coot were still present along with some Great egret a few Flamingos and a solitary Little gull bouncing off the water catching insects.
