Leighton Moss

On the way home yesterday we stopped at Leighton Moss for an hour. I only managed to get to two hides. There was nothing of note from the Tim Jackson Hide.
As I was walking up the track to the Griesdale Hide a female Marsh Harrier flew over the hide where it was mobbed by Lapwing.

After only seeing two Red Deer amongst the reeds I was about to leave when the Marsh Harrier flew in front of the hide and hovered in front of the window at the other end of the hide!

It wasn’t hovering like a Kestrel as it was facing the hide with its wings in front of it. This hovering only lasted a few seconds and it then flew the whole length of the hide and over the reeds.
As I watched, the Harrier dived onto the ground and stood there, another action I have never seen this bird do.
I then realised that it was on top of a Lapwing nest and it them picked up the Lapwing chick and ate half of it before flying off with the other half and passing it in mid air over the reeds to another Marsh Harrier, which appeared,Very strange behaviour.
A Little Egret flew over whilst all this was happening.
I checked West Hartford this morning and was pleased to see that the main pool has got water in it again; hopefully it will attract some Waders soon.

Inner Marsh Farm

After leaving Cornwall at the weekend we stayed with family in Wrexham, (North Wales).
On Monday I was dropped off at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB just over the border in Cheshire near the river Dee estuary.
Pool No1. can only be viewed from the main track, so I got distant views of 36 Little Egrets! 2 Egrets flew overhead as I was watching them.

On Pool No2. there were 2 Spotted Redshank amongst a mixed group of Redshank and Lapwing. 13 Black Tailed Godwit were wading around the middle island with three juv birds joining them.

Little Egrets were flying between the pool and there colony in the treetops above. 18 Teal were also on the middle island.

The Egrets stood out a lot more against the black sky behind which later turned into a thunderstorm.

Cirl Bunting!

A few months ago I got in contact with the Cornwall Cirl Bunting release manager, to find out about where a good place to see them was.
After many helpful emails I knew the best place and yesterday we had a look.

After only being at the secret site five minutes 2 Juvenile Cirl Buntings began calling from a hedge row.
It wasn't long until a male Cirl Bunting - Lifer, flew over and landed very obligingly on top of the hedge row, where it stayed not bothered by our presence.
A female was feeding on the ground with some Chaffinches before flying off.
The close views of the male Cirl alllowed me to pick out some fine details on the bird such as the slightly raised crest and row of rust coloured spots on its chest.
It looked like a cross between a Corn, Lapland, Reed bunting and a Yellowhammer, what a bird!

Last night after a heavy thunder storm which lit up the sea, a Tawny Owl began calling in the garden.

Marazion Marsh

I was dropped off at Marazion Marsh RSPB at 10 this morning where I stayed for 6 hours.
The reserve is 70% reeds designed to attract the first breeding Bitterns to Cornwall. I was mainly using my ears around the reserve as there was nothing on the water.
I heard and saw 7 Sedge Warblers and 5 Reed Warblers around the reserve along with 1 Cetti's Warbler - Lifer.

I listened to the Cetti's song on a free CD that came with a paper, last night, so that it was fresh in my head.
After only being in the reserve 10 minutes I heard the explosive call in the south east reeds where I spent a further 3 hours watching and waiting. The Cetti's was singing every five minutes or so in roughly the same area and eventually I saw it burst out of the reeds and into the bottom of a clump of trees next to a small stream.

I couldn't see anything from the Kingfisher Hide as it was too overgrown. The rest of the time I spent chasing shadows on the edge of the reed bed, but still I enjoyed it.

On the sea from the car park overlooking St.Michael's Mount, there were 4 Basking Sharks very close to a man in a boat!
I will upload photos when I get home.

Crammy In Cornwall

I am writing this post on holiday in Cornwall where I have been for the last few days. On the way down we stopped on the edge of a wood for a break. I heard the familiar sound of a Green Woodpecker yaffling in the trees overhead.
Eventually I spotted it crawling up the side of a tree where it fed its young which were hanging out of a hole, I'd never seen a Green Woodpecker nest before this.

We are staying at Porthallow on the south Cornwall coast at the top of a valley. I had an hour long wonder along the cliffs yesterday but I couldn't see anything on the sea.
Two Common Buzzards flew over as did four Ravens which cronked as they moved inland from the sea.
The only sea bird I have seen is a Fulmar which flew along the cliff tops.

Plenty of Swifts are flying around the house and I'm sure the humid weather will result in a thunder storm, hopefully when I have my camera handy.

Plessay Atlas

I went to Plessay Woods this morning with Lindsay McDougall to do another Atlas square.
We tried to do a circular route from the quarry to just past Stannington Railway Bridge, coming back to the car park via the feeding station.

Next to the river there were two Juv Great Spotted Woodpeckers, flitting from tree to tree along with a Juv Nuthatch.

Plenty of Chiffchaff and Song thrushes were around as well as a Male Blackcap and another Juv G S Woodpecker. In total we counted 20+ Wren around the woods in different areas.

There was nothing on the river apart from 4 Mallards and a Jay, which flew over.
When we got to the feeding station there was a family party of Coal Tits and of Treecreeper with four of each.The feeders were empty so we only stayed five minutes as nothing else was about.

WH Barn owl

I went to West Hartford for an hour last night hoping that the rain had started to fill up the pools again, but it hadn't.
Only two Pied Wagtails were on the mud. As I was scanning the mud/pool I noticed a something white near the Farm buildings and saw that it was a Barn Owl hunting over the road.
It disappeared around the other side of the buildings but soon reappeared and continued hunting over the marsh area the whole time I has there.
Apart from the Owl there wasn't much else to get excited about, 12 Swifts were hawking overhead and 3 Stock Doves flew over.