Page 24 - Out Birding Winter 2023

Duck. A distant Green Sandpiper and chance to compare the difference in size between male and female Ruff. An added bonus was a close fly past of a female Sparrowhawk as she came towards us just below the level of the reeds.
Ca􏰀le Egret: Ann E
An obliging Little Egret stood next to a Cattle Egret to allow nice comparisons, Black-tailed Godwit, Pheasant, Jackdaw, Green- shank, Canada and Greylag Geese, Coot, Woodpigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Great Spotted Woodpecker completed the day list.
However, the finale was yet to come as we started back up the edge of the salt marsh to the car park. The Short-eared Owl we had seen earlier was back hunting and flew slowly towards us getting closer and closer. At the bottom of the marsh it turned back towards us flying alongside and at one point could have
been no more than 20-30 feet away. There was total silence from the group disturbed only by the call of a Snipe that flew up as the owl passed over and then it sat obligingly on the fence watching us. It seemed rude to disturb it after its wonderful fly-past so we waited until it flew off, what an end to the day. I counted 67 different species for our group.
On Sunday I palled-up with Lis for a trip to RSPB Frampton Marsh, a lovely set of pools and scrapes alongside the river Withem and very
extensive salt marshes to the wash. Alongside the
scrapes there is a large, grassed field bordered by
mature hedges, the early morning mist cleared to reveal a warm, sunny, windless day, ideal.
On arriving we were met by Kerry who warned us to be careful as there seemed to be a large number of Gays and Lesbians on the reserve, try as we might we could only recognize numerous friends among the large numbers there!
Lesser Yellowlegs: Mary H
Among our first birds was a Great White Egret standing close to a Grey Heron and Little Egret, however, the stars of the day were a Buff-breasted Sandpiper a first for us
Buff-breasted Sandpiper: Lesley T
both, Lesser Yellowlegs, Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint. A distant Peregrine, sitting on a fence post, a quartet of Bearded Reedling, Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Dunlin and repeats from the day before. Try as we might we could not find the Semi- palmated Sandpiper reported to be on the reserve.
41 species in just a few hours, taking the weekend total to 78.
Sarah
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