• Sunshine, glorious sunshine!

    Jenny
    Sunshine, glorious sunshine!
    Well till 3pm (a time perfectly predicted by one volunteer this morning!) But what a lovely morning, and it brought lots of you out to Frampton Marsh. It was great to be in the Visitor centre, with it buzzing with people.
    And a range, including a several families who went off to fill in their ‘what’s the bird?’ cards whilst enjoying the fresh air, to bird watchers, including a minibus…

  • Sightings Sunday 10/04/11

    Simon Wilson
    Hello,
    It has been very warm today at RSPB Frampton Marsh. Some of our visitors did a spot of sun bathing in the car park after a nice walk.
    Sightings have included:
    Crane 2 flew over around 4.20pm
    Marsh harrier 1
    Buzzard 2
    Avocet 57
    Little ringed plover 16
    Dunlin 22
    Ruff 16
    Black-tailed godwit 48
    Redshank 32
    Little owl 2
    Sand martin 26
    Swallow 14
    House martin 1
    Yellow wagtail 20
    White wagtail 1
    Wheatear…

  • A warm day with lots of wildlife to see.

    Simon Wilson
    Hello,
    It has been a very warm day today at RSPB Frampton Marsh. The breeze has kept the temperature down to just below the 20C mark. Tomorrow’s forecast appears to be similar.
    Highlights today have included:
    Dark-bellied brent goose 250
    Goldeneye 2
    Marsh harrier 1
    Oystercatcher 3
    Avocet 62
    Little ringed plover 9
    Golden plover 100
    Dunlin 19
    Ruff 28
    Black-tailed godwit 39
    Redshank 36
    Greenshank 1
    …

  • Sightings Sunday 03/04/11

    Simon Wilson
    Hello,
    I hope you had a great Mother’s Day. Lots of visitors brought their Mums for a day out at RSPB Frampton Marsh, and as usual, we had lots of birds to show them.
    Highlights included:
    Pink-footed goose 3
    Dark-bellied brent goose 750+
    Wigeon 220+
    Gadwall 26
    Shoveler 28
    Tufted duck 42
    Little grebe 4
    Great crested grebe 6
    Little egret 4
    Buzzard 2
    Osprey 1 (flew over reedbed and saltmarsh)
    Kestrel…

  • Sightings 02/04/11

    Simon Wilson
    Hello,
    It has been a warm but breezy day at RSPB Frampton marsh. Highlights have included:
    Pink-footed goose 3
    Dark-bellied brent goose 750+
    Pale-bellied brent goose 2
    Garganey 1 (drake)
    Little grebe 2
    Great crested grebe 4
    Marsh harrier 1
    Merlin 1
    Avocet 18
    Little ringed plover 8
    Ringed plover 8
    Golden plover 150+ (many in summer plumage)
    Dunlin 41
    Ruff 9
    Snipe 4
    Black-tailed godwit 23 (most in summer…

  • White Heap

    Toby Collett

    This is what you can see today

  • Up go the electric fences!

    Jenny
    After a week of me rabbiting on, you’ll be glad to know Simon’s back tomorrow so there will be more of a variety of bloggers again! But here’s the final blog instalment of the week from the assistant warden…
     
    Today, Graham (Warden) and I had a busy day planned, and knew from the start we’d have to prioritise as our list of jobs would never fit into one day. We decided that the most important…

  • Sunshine and Colt's foot

    Jenny
    When will this weather end! Living in Britain, I just don’t expect so many days of bright and sunny weather in one go but we have definitely be blessed so far this week. The sun is out again, and by the time I arrived back to munch on my sandwiches I had stripped down to my t shirt!

    I love it when the sun is shining, it just lifts the colours of the sky, birds, and flora on the reserve. The place looks bright and…

  • The first wheatear!

    Jenny
    Today started off with the compulsory cup of tea, and some searching through some harrier records for the winter for an hour, before Graham (Warden) and I hit the road.
    First stop the workshop to load up all the kit we needed for the day...then the Visitor centre to check Dave (Volunteer) was Ok, and start the generator. I also ventured over to the barn owl box to change the battery, disturbing a barn owl that flew out…

  • A glorious day!

    Jenny
    It has been a glorious day here at Frampton Marsh! The sun has been shining on our beautiful little oasis on the edge of the Wash.
    And lots of you have come to join us for a walk and some birdwatching, and you just couldn’t have chosen a nicer day, so I hope you all enjoyed yourself. Frampton Marsh was designed with both people and birds in mind, and its great to see it full of life (both types!)
    On arriving…

  • Spring time... and there’s work to do!

    Jenny
    With the return of the avocets, its time to make sure that the reserve is in tip top shape for the breeding season. Therefore, I got the boat out with Pete (Volunteer), and off we set with Graham (Warden) for a bit of boating on the reedbed. This was to enable us to access the two islands covered with cockle shells, which we hope will attract breeding common terns to the site. We weeded them during the summer but there…

  • Sightings 12/03/11

    Simon Wilson

    Hi, it has been a little breezy today, but our visitors have loved the experience on offer.

    highlights have included:

    Whooper swan 18
    Avocet 9
    Ringed plover 12
    Golden plover c1200
    Dunlin 45
    Ruff 16
    Snipe 12
    Black-tailed godwit 24 (some in summer plumage)
    Little gull 1 (1st winter)
    Sand martin (the 1st this year)

    Also, 6 goosander (3 drakes, 3 ducks) flew over at around 15.30 providing 12 species of duck today:

    Shelduck, wigeon…

  • Are wardens designed to blog!

    Graham Figg

    Well here goes, my first blog after months of cajoling from the rest of the team.

    My initial plan for the day was to spend it at Freiston Shore, however, it is always a wardens prerogative to change their minds, so instead i spent the morning at Frampton Marsh. Whilst carrying out some routine maintenance checks i bumped into Mel, one of our Visitor Centre volunteers, who was just returning from a walk down the river…

  • An egret!

    Jenny
    Today has been another splendid day. I arrived in this morning, and as my computer logged on, I wandered down to the kitchen in search of the first and most important job each morning – that is making tea! I am very lucky to have a boss who shares the burden, as there is something so much nicer about a cuppa you didn’t make yourself.
    Anyway, this I arrived back upstairs and set John’s cup down in front of…

  • Spring is in the air!

    Jenny
     
    Ok, with temperatures due to drop to minus two overnight, you may think that I’ve gone a bit mad with the title for this blog. But if you had been at RSPB Frampton Marsh today, I think you could only have agreed with me!
    I spent the first part of the morning, having a nice stroll round the Marsh Farm side of the site, whilst counting some birds! It was the last of my monthly waterbird counts for this winter…

  • Recent sightings

    Simon Wilson

    Hello,

    Today we were joined by the Leicester RSPB local group. Everybody had a great day, and we managed to provide much better weather than yesterday!

    Sighting highlights have included:

    Whooper swan 38
    Barnacle goose 14
    Dark-bellied brent goose c850
    Black brant 1
    Wigeon c380
    Pochard 12
    Scaup 2 (male and female)
    Marsh harrier 1 f
    Sparrowhawk 1 m
    Buzzard
    Rough-legged buzzard 1
    Merlin 1 f
    Peregrine 1 f
    …

  • Extra update from Jenny's sightings

    Simon Wilson

    Hello,

    after Mel finished his shift in the visitor centre, he had a walk around the reserve and saw 38 (31 adult, 7 juv) Whooper swans coming in to roost on the scrapes at 4.30.

    Over the weekend, arrive early to see them get up and go. Or stay until 4.30ish to see them come in.

     

    Cheers,

     

    Simon.

  • 4/3/2011

    Jenny
    After a morning in the office, I was in need of some fresh air this afternoon. Initially, I only got as far as the workshop but after a few jobs there I headed over to Frampton Marsh. I drove down to the bottom car park, and headed up onto the seawall for a quick scan of the saltmarsh. On reaching the top of the steps, I was met by one of our regular birders who pointed out a peregrine on one of the bridges out on the…

  • Sightings 02/03/11

    Simon Wilson

    Hi,

    It has been a cold and windy day at RSPB Frampton Marsh.

    Sightings highlights have included:

    Whooper swan 29

    Barnacle goose 13

    Dark-bellied brent goose 950

    Wigeon 220

    Shoveler 10

    Pochard 8

    Goldeneye 4

    Black-tailed godwit 22

    Golden plover 800

    Barn owl 1

    Peregrine 1

    Merlin 1

    Also, single Pale-bellied brent and Black brant at Freiston Shore (Alex Parker)

     

    Cheers,

    Simon.

  • Ditch Sluice viewpoint

    Toby Collett

    This is what you can see today

  • 25/2/2011

    Jenny
    It seems to have been a long day...but what a beautiful one! The sun was out and the reedbed looked glorious. The birds were looking wonderful too, especially the group of whooper swans (41) and Bewick’s swans (4) enjoying the sunshine in the centre of the reedbed. Then so graceful as they took off a group at the end of the day, as I drove off up the entrance road.
    After a morning of trials, from re-organising…

  • Sightings 16/02/11

    Simon Wilson

    Hello,

    we had a very bright and breezy start to the day today. I went on to the saltmarsh today to do a survey, and I was lucky enough to see the first rough-legged buzzard on the reserve since 1997. I was due an exciting find like this as today is my birthday!  Also on the saltmarsh survey, I had really good views of a male hen harrier and a short-eared owl.

    Other highlights included:

    Bewick’s swan 1
    Whooper…

  • A Day of Contrasts

    Jenny
    The role of assistant warden is a varied one, full of contrasts. Today is the perfect example – I spent this morning scrambling about in the mud on the saltmarsh before spending the afternoon in the warmth of the Visitor Centre.
     
    At least, I got these the right way round and saved myself a soaking as the weather was a contrast this afternoon from this morning. This morning the sun was shining down on us but this…

  • Sightings 13/02/11

    Simon Wilson

    Hello!

    Despite the relentless wind and the occasional showers, there have been lots of visitors at RSPB Frampton Marsh today.

    Lots of amazing birds too. Highlights included:

    Bewick's swan 11
    Whooper swan 22
    European white-fronted goose 18
    Dark-bellied brent goose 950
    Pale-bellied brent goose 2
    Black brant 1
    Wigeon 650
    Gadwall 20
    Teal 240
    Pintail 12
    Pochard 7
    Tufted duck 40
    Scaup 2
    Goldeneye 12
    Marsh harrier 1 f
    Hen harrier 1…

  • 11/2/2011

    Jenny
    Graham (Warden) and I popped into the Visitor centre this afternoon, and had a chat with our new volunteer (Mel), who was enjoying a quiet afternoon. It was great just to take a breather and look out at Frampton Marsh. I spend so much time working and rushing around that sometimes I fail to appreciate what its all for… So it was good just to watch the lapwings, as a few of them have begun to show signs of displaying.…