With the Easter Holiday upon us and few birds at St Margaret's we took an afternoon excursion to Grove Ferry, via Sandwich.
The "we" was Pete, Nina, Jack and me, and at eight Jack is building up his life list. The first addition was Grey Partridge, a pair sitting obligingly at the exact spot I had anticipated, along the Ancient Highway. A quick stop at
Pegwell got a couple of Dark Bellied
Brents for Jacks life list. Although Jack had seen Marsh Harriers several times before, like may of us, was thrilled to see both male and female at close quarters.
There were several flying around and it was the first time I've noticed the males call when displaying. At first I though that it was a Little Owl calling but we then watched a male over our heads calling, quite a strange noise.
All the time we were in the David Feast Hide there was a Great Crested Grebe on view.
I was quite pleased that I was in the hide when this Grey Heron flew over. I wouldn't have liked to have been under what it dropped without an umbrella!
A Tufted Duck got too close to the nest of a pugnacious Coot and was chased off for its trouble.
The Duck didn't hang around to make a fight of it, discretion being the better part of valour, it scarpered.
We were told that just beyond the Harrison Hide there was a Ring
Ouzel out in a field. Pete was ahead of me, as I'd stayed for more pictures from the David Feast hide and took a
digi-scoped picture of it about 150 yards away. I was too distant for me to photo when I got there. I think that Jack was more impressed with the Green Woodpecker in the field.Coming from
Clitheroe it easier for Pete to show Ring
Ouzels in the summer than it is Green Woodpeckers.
Among the Yellow Wagtails on View from the Harrison Hide there was a Blue Headed Wagtail, but it remained too distant to photograph. We also saw one Water Pipit, six Green Sandpipers and a Ruff from this hide. By the time we left there were lots of Sedge Warblers singing and we heard one Reed Warbler.
Cetti's Warblers played the
characteistic game of hide and seek with us, until I finally managed to show Jack one, near the ramp. The views were brief and I'm not sure how convinced he was.
The "we" was Pete, Nina, Jack and me, and at eight Jack is building up his life list. The first addition was Grey Partridge, a pair sitting obligingly at the exact spot I had anticipated, along the Ancient Highway. A quick stop at Pegwell got a couple of Dark Bellied Brents for Jacks life list. Although Jack had seen Marsh Harriers several times before, like may of us, was thrilled to see both male and female at close quarters.
There were several flying around and it was the first time I've noticed the males call when displaying. At first I though that it was a Little Owl calling but we then watched a male over our heads calling, quite a strange noise.
All the time we were in the David Feast Hide there was a Great Crested Grebe on view.
I was quite pleased that I was in the hide when this Grey Heron flew over. I wouldn't have liked to have been under what it dropped without an umbrella!
A Tufted Duck got too close to the nest of a pugnacious Coot and was chased off for its trouble.
The Duck didn't hang around to make a fight of it, discretion being the better part of valour, it scarpered.
We were told that just beyond the Harrison Hide there was a Ring Ouzel out in a field. Pete was ahead of me, as I'd stayed for more pictures from the David Feast hide and took a digi-scoped picture of it about 150 yards away. I was too distant for me to photo when I got there. I think that Jack was more impressed with the Green Woodpecker in the field.Coming from Clitheroe it easier for Pete to show Ring Ouzels in the summer than it is Green Woodpeckers.
Among the Yellow Wagtails on View from the Harrison Hide there was a Blue Headed Wagtail, but it remained too distant to photograph. We also saw one Water Pipit, six Green Sandpipers and a Ruff from this hide. By the time we left there were lots of Sedge Warblers singing and we heard one Reed Warbler. Cetti's Warblers played the characteistic game of hide and seek with us, until I finally managed to show Jack one, near the ramp. The views were brief and I'm not sure how convinced he was.
1 comment:
some gorgeous shots, Tony and LOL@ the heron and needing an umbrella! Looks like you guys had a great birding outing and it's super kewl Jack is becoming a Twitcher :-)))
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