Thursday 15 February 2018

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

No comments:

This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander