Thankfully the terrible weather forecast that Simon read out to me in the office on Friday afternoon never materialised today. Instead, I drove down to the reserve in the pretty morning sunlight. I headed for the bottom car park near the sea bank, and on arriving stopped to say hello to a regular visitor. Chatting away, we watched a swallow over the wet grassland – he commented that autumn was here, I was almost about the disagree as autumn only starts for me when the reed turns colour but then looking at the ditch in front of us, I realised the first of the reeds are beginning to turn. No doubt by the end of the week I’ll be chatting away about the colours of autumn.
After checking on a temperamental cattle trough, I headed back up the road to open the Visitor centre, spotting a sparrowhawk over the wet grassland as I went. Maybe, the same one which later disturbed the birds on the reedbed during the morning.
As I scanned the reedbed this morning, I was slightly disappointed not to see the variety of waders that were around yesterday. However, it soon became clear as visitors came in for a tea break after a morning’s birding that I was just in the wrong place, with plenty to be seen on the far side from reedbed hide. Today’s highlights included dunlin (20+), little stint, spotted redshank (1), greenshank (2), ruff, common sandpiper, curlew sandpiper all on the reedbed.
Photo: Greenshank - RSPB Images (Chris Gomersall)
One visitor came in with his list, and a beautiful photograph of a corn bunting on his digital camera. And although, he’d missed it his friends had also seen a water vole in the ditch near to 360 hide.
By the end of the day, I must admit having not spent so long in the Visitor centre on my own in one go before, I was beginning to flag but enthusiasm is contagious! In came a group from the RSPB NW London local group – on their way home from a weekend at Gibraltar Point but having seen the sign on the way up and having heard about Frampton Marsh had decided to stop in – they were already keen and on hearing about the little stint and curlew sandpipers ready to go look, when a group who’d hadn’t had any luck arrived back, but this didn’t deter my new visitors. Off they went, and arriving back just before five they were pleased to report that they’d seen 5 little stints on middle scrape. Other highlights on the scrapes today included wheatear (2), snipe (4), and brent goose (2).
As I locked up the NW London party drew up near the Visitor centre, I went over wondering what the matter was. Well it turned out another couple in the car park, had told them that tree sparrows were easy round here, and they wanted to know where to look. That didn’t take much there was already one on the hawthorn bush by the seed feeders, and sure enough others soon appeared on the feeders. If only all birds could always be so obliging!
Photo: Canada geese - RSPB Images (Jodie Randall).
But probably my lasting image of today will be the large flock of Canada geese parading in the line along the ditch nearest to the Visitor centre. It reminded me of one of the films I most love, Fly Away Home! – that might just have to be my Sunday evening’s entertainment!