First Autumn Class

Today was the first class of the Autumn Term.  Things didn't look very promising at first with blustery winds and an overcast threatening sky.  We had only just left the car park, and we were looking at Otter tracks, when suddenly a sandy brown bird flew out of the Reedbed ahead of us.  It was in the sky for several minutes as it flew across the site, over the hide and then down into the area of a flooded field.

When we reached the hide there was plenty to see.  The highlight was probably the 2 or even possibly three Water Rails right in front of the hide.  One of them, probably an immature came very close.  Some of us also saw a male Bearded Tit perched on the top of the reeds, but then the wind came back, and it was lost to sight.  There were plenty of birds to see on the mudflats including Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Ruff, Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank, and a single Greenshank.

We travelled to the hide on stilts.  On our journey we saw a large flock of Barnacle Geese, probably the flock which winters on the Humber, and spends their summer at Flamingoland.  From the hide we saw another Greenshank, Water Rails, a Bearded Tit and a Roe Deer.  On the way back from there we had an obliging Stonechat, at least four Little Egrets in the air, and a male Kestrel.  

It was a great start to the course, and although there are no vacancies on a Tuesday morning, there are still a few spaces on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

All photos except Kestrel (c) 2017 Maggie Bruce
Immature Water Rail?
 Bittern
 Ditto
 Waders
 Greenshank
 Water Rail
 Barnacle Geese
Stonechat
Kestrel

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