Day 3 Salt Marsh

Woke up to a dull cloudy morning so headed first to the salt marshes to see what was around ......

Avocets were there in reasonable numbers ........,       

a communal nest dig was going on   !!! 

those curved bills looked perfect for the job  !!

Little egrets were around too but most birds were too distant for decent photo ops

Not sure what this duck is  !    

Black-headed Gull chicks

and surprise surprise ....................    a long way away but nice to see through binoculars   !!  ...................  can you recognise the white bird ?  ! 

No doubting that bill  !!               great hair style too :)   !!

despite having to hard crop this photo it was nice to have a record shot of the Spoonbill  

  • Hazel, I've heard this afternoon from a raptor watching friend that there are at least two newly fledged Marsh Harriers on the wing on the main LM reserve. I think she was trying to tempt Chris and myself up there for a look-see, unable to do I'm sad to say so a fair chance you did see a second bird. Our MH nest got predated by Mink so maybe Mink fur coats could become a fashion item again.

  • Wendy S said:
    Hazel, I've heard this afternoon from a raptor watching friend that there are at least two newly fledged Marsh Harriers on the wing on the main LM reserve.

    We were at the reserve early sitting in Lilians hide and after mid morning I spotted a juvenile harrier with darkish plumage and then a 2nd appeared with dark plumage but this had a little touch of cream colouring on the head but not as much as the adult female we had seen the day before so thought, although I'm no expert, that it may be the 2nd juvenile which had just fledged this morning;   Not sure if there is a 3rd but I'm sure LM will advise.       I reported todays sighting to the staff as we left at noon for them to check out so that's great news to have it confirmed.    I love watching the MH's as they quarter the reed beds although a nervy time for the smaller reed birds.     I didn't have the camera with me this morning as we had packed the car for the drive home so never got chance to photograph the juveniles.     It was a good ending to our 5th day on the reserve :)    and I'm sure we'll be back before the year is out.   I hope you and Chris manage to get there as soon as you are able.     I would love to go Sept/October time to have more chance of seeing the Bearded Tits on the grit trays and pathways.     There hasn't been any ringing sessions for 2 years due to the pandemic so a lot of Beardies will be ring free !     I used to make a note of the coloured bands I saw  to pass on for the data.    I saw them being ringed one day (male, female and 2 juvies)  and they are amazing to see close up and their eye colouring which is another interesting data collection by an expert on them.     Sorry to hear your MH nest was predated, its so sad when this happens.     I saw a mink on our local parkland when a Wren alarm calling alerted me to its presence.    

  • Unknown said:

    Thanks folks,

    @ Mike.....    Interesting to hear about the Bittern offspring at Burton Mere and hope you get back soon as its always a lovely place to visit;       Just returned ffrom LM where I think I spotted a newly fledged Marsh Harrier this morning joining its sibling which fledged three days ago.         

    Hoping to get back to BM soon but next week we're a bit busy with Mike's hosptial check up and taking delivery of our new car next week so I'll be having to get used to automatic rather than manual and hoping I don't back up into a neighbours Rolls Royce in the next parking bay to ours in the communal garage   LOL       I'll have a bit of a practice run in the large office car park first !!

    Hospital visits yes I've just had notification of another one for early July.

    I'm not expecting much of a weather change in the coming week, remaining unsettled, so my next trip will probably be the week Sat 3rd - Wed 7th July, 8th & 9th are hospital days. The 8th appt is a year overdue due to Covid and is an MRI for a benign growth, so I don't want to push that back any further.

    If, the weather looks more favourable sooner or around the 10th/11th, then those dates would certainly be contenders.