Brandon Marsh Sat 25th Nov and the breakfast scenario, and a warning of more photos

WARNING: I'm back to bore you all, with more photos.....

Since things went pear shaped with my leg June 2022, Brandon Marsh has become not just a sanctuary for wildlife, but my sanctuary. It’s convenient to get to and with 24/7 access, it enables me to get out before opening times and facilitates the daily leg care regime I’ve had since then, and still very much ongoing.

Many of us have a safe, dry and warm place to sleep, not always the case for nature, they have to find somewhere safe, and not often protected from the weather, or predators, but the best offering they can find.

But not just that, most of us, if not all, will have some food soon after we wake, that food we call Breakfast. Not just us, but so does nature, that first meal of the day, and while most of us have it easy, we only need to visit a cupboard, fridge or larder, birds and animals need to go and find their food.

So my early morning visits have probably yielded more than if I’d gone as the gates were opened.

It also enabled some good sunrises, when the cloud that seems to have engulfed here most of this year, wasn’t abound…..

It was also good to meet up with other like minded people, and in one instance, a new member to the trust who own and manage Brandon, but also here.

Less of the waffle and more about wildlife.

The morning had a very promising start which continued through the day, and the main intention was to see the starlings morning murmuration, particularly as it currently isn’t a viable option to see the evening one, which is more spectacular.

Yes, it does look a little like a midge fest!

While contemplating leaving the hide and venture to the small wooded  area and see if I could see any redwings, one flew in.

Now all together, best cockney twang please....

“What a mouf!

What a mouf!

What a norf arn souf

Blimey what a mouf he's got”

Tommy Steele What a mouth June 1960

What could be better than a redwing?

Two redwings….

It was time I was moving on, and just as I was about to close the window of the hide, the branches immediately to my left started moving, and there was no wind.

A wee goldcrest, flitting like they do….

Then Mrs Reed Bunting (might have been a Miss Reed Bunting  ) decided to call in

Then I did move on, and along the path there were plenty of robins making their presence known.

Even in the courtyard, which was still closed to the general public, so not much chance of food. And yes I did, I always keep a little bribery in my pockets.

Back to the hides, but the sun was just at the wrong height and angle, though I did manage to get this great white egret taking flight before I had to leave.

In alphabetical order, the morning’s sightings included:

• Black Headed Gull
• Blackbird
• Coot
• Cormorant
• Crow
• Gadwall
• Goldfinch
• Goosander (M only)
• Grey Heron
• Jay
• Kingfisher flypast, [make that, zoom past……]
• Lapwing
• Magpie
• Mallard
• Moorhen
• Mute Swan
• Shoveler
• Siskin
• Starling
• Teal
• Tufted
• Widgeon

A pleasant morning, only topped by a previous Saturday, Remembrance Day, when I managed a rare otter sighting. Sadly no photo, being low in the water and the sun quite low, it didn’t make for a good photo opportunity.

The previous Saturday was a morning of pleasant surprises, not least my first witnessing a morning starling murmuration. No photos, just a noise that sounded like traffic, and all of a sudden right in front of me was this cloud of starlings!

Also was the first recording of a goosander at Brandon for a long time, so good to witness that drake to fly in. We'll be looking for more....

There was one other superb moment from the previous Saturday, the bird ringing team were there, and while I didn’t handle any birds, it was nice to see and even more spectacular, was watching a marsh tit being ringed, and how small they are!

If you can put up with more of my photos, I'll sort those from the previous Saturday visit, Remembrance Day....