Frampton Marsh

After many years of planning a trip to this RSPB Reserve, I eventually got round to going there yesterday. A superb place and one I shall certainly be returning too soon as the whole habitat looks like a magnet for migrating waders.
Today, their was an icy breeze that made searching for distant birds difficult with frozen hands, hats disappearing over fences and the wind battering the binoculars. I had taken my scope with me, but didn't take it out of the car as it would have rattled around in the breeze and probably been more trouble carting it around than it was worth.
The Visitors' Centre opened shortly after my arrival, by which time I had noted regular species at the feeders. In the bushes were a few tree sparrows but in the time I was there, they refused to pose for a photo.
Having had a quick chat and gleaned a map, I was off to check the fields by the car park. Plenty of wigeon, redshanks and several ruff in fine plumage. Lapwings were everywhere and must, like the wigeon be excess of 10,000. Huge numbers of these birds rose as a merlin shot passed me, too fast for a photo.
I arrived at the 360 hide where I noted more of the same, so on to the reedbed hide. Shelduck, mallards, gadwall and large numbers of greylag and brent geese whilst out side, a superb male stonechat

female teal

wigeon in poor light conditions

Black tailed godwits

rather distant ruff

pair of ruff

Lapwing from the 360 hide

from the 360 hide looking towards the East hide

The East hide

Brent geese

Male stonechat

Fly past little egret

I continued on to the Wash Trail and into the East hide before wandering on to the Grassland trail. First surprise of the day was encountering 4 barnacle geese in with some brents and further along a solitary spotted redshank. In the far distance around 50 - 60 whooper swans before I checked the reservoir where a pair of goldeneye consorted with several tufted duck and a fair few drake pochard.
A coffee helped thaw me out back at the centre before I headed off back home. A thoroughly enjoyable morning despite the cold and what was now a stiff breeze and drizzle. The numbers of birds was amazing and I look forward to returning later in spring. Many thanks to Lisa at the centre for being so helpful. This is a reserve I highly recommend but I would advise warm clothes, gloves and a hat that remains on in a breeze.

1st year herring gull

Black tailed godwit

From the Wash trail, looking beyond the East hide

Barnacle and brent geese

drake pintail

winter plumaged spotted redshank

Redshank for comparison

Drake gadwall

Species list. Year listers in red taking running total for 2018 to 116 species

1. Cormorant
2. Little egret
3. Grey heron
4. Whooper swan 
5. Mute swan
6. Greylag goose
7. Canada goose
8. Barnacle goose
9. Brent goose
10. Shelduck
11. Mallard
12. Gadwall
13. Pintail
14. Shoveler
15. Wigeon
16. Teal
17. Pochard
18. Tufted duck
19. Goldeneye
20. Common buzzard
21. Kestrel
22. Merlin
23. Pheasant
24. Moorhen
25. Coot
26. Ringed plover
27. Golden plover
28. Lapwing
29. Dunlin
30. Redshank
31. Spotted redshank
32. Black tailed godwit
33. Curlew
34. Snipe
35. Ruff
36. Black headed gull
37. Herring gull
38. Great Black backed gull
39. Wood pigeon
40. Stock dove
41. Collared dove
42. Skylark
43. Meadow pipit
44. Pied wagtail
45. Wren
46. Dunnock
47. Robin
48. Stonechat
49. Redwing
50. Fieldfare
51. Blackbird
52. Great tit
53. Blue tit
54. Long tailed tit
55. Magpie
56. Jackdaw
57. Carrion crow
58. Rook
59. Starlin
60. House sparrow
61. Tree sparrow
62. Chaffinch
63. Greenfinch
64. Goldfinch
65. Linnet
66. Reed bunting

Brent geese

whooper swans with golden plover and lapwing

Distant goldeneye

shoveler