Sunday 1 March 2015

February brief update

Monday 9th February
Nice to see a flock of Whoopers from the train as I headed south across the Fens from Kings Lynn. Walking from the guided Busway stop in Swavesey to my meeting in the village I saw a Water Rail in a roadside ditch and a Sparrowhawk flew over carrying prey. Later on my way back to the Busway I had a nice Great Spotted Woodpecker perched up.

Roadside Water Rail

Thursday 12th
A meeting at Minsmere ended with a short blast of fresh air before the drive home, not a great deal seen in the gloom but always nice to see a few Marsh Harriers over the reedbed and a perched Kingfisher and Bullfinch. Lots of Muntjac's.
Minsmere Muntjac

Minsmere, Landscape art, I liked this
Sunday15th
A family stroll around the boardwalk along the edge of the saltmarsh in Brancaster was enlivened by a male Peregrine "having a go" at a Lapwing. After this I managed a short visit to Titchwell where I finally added Spotted Redshank and Bearded Tit to my year list.
 
Marsh Harriers displaying over Brancaster saltings
Sunday 22nd, 
I made a brief stop at the "Wolferton Triangle" on my way home from visiting my mum in hospital in Kent. Had brief views of a nice male Golden Pheasant.

Wednesday 25th
A day of meetings at the Lodge in Bedfordshire, I factored in time to walk up from Sandy station across the nature reserve and was rewarded by two Ravens flying over calling.

Saturday 28th
Another flying visit to see my mum in hospital in Kent and this time I came home via Thetford Forest, I stopped at Lyndford Arboretum mainly for a walk and some fresh air but also in the hope of connecting with a Hawfinch, I didn't do this, but did add Siskin and Marsh Tit to my year list which stands at an OK for me 122, so 10 months to find the 78 species needed to hit my target of 200 for the year.
Heavily cropped Marsh Tit