Month: August 2013

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Marston today.

Trevor Lee

Marston stw this afternoon 31/08/2013 My main objective was to gather some cherry plums for jam making.Yer,I didn’t think you’d buy that one.I fess up,birding was the number one priority,but I did pick some plums,look… There were around twenty odd snipe,probably many more out of site.Ten on the scrape,four on mud opposite car park,five in horse paddock and three on the back pool. Two green sandpipers,two curlews and about fifty lapwings were around.Two little egrets in front of the hide were the first I’ve seen here for a while. A hobby was around again,it likes to perch in the trees running … Continue reading Marston today.

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Local whinchats and wheatears…

Trevor Lee

Area 51 this morning 29/08/2013 This morning Spadge picked me up,our mission was to go and slap some paint on the new hide at ‘area 51’,the m o d site that we have access to,just outside town.We met up with DM and JS and got  the job done in a jiffy. We couldn’t resist a spot of birding,I predicted whinchat,the habitat is absolutely sock-on and we located at least four birds,along with a couple of wheatears.A yellow wagtail was nearby with half a dozen pieds.I think David and Joe got a couple of photos which they may publish later. A … Continue reading Local whinchats and wheatears…

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Frampton Marsh

Trevor Lee

Had a two hour visit this afternoon. Saw a Grass Snake in the Vole pools, but everything else was very quiet until a Peregrine dropped in on the 500+ strong Black-tailed Godwit flock sending them all skywards and enabling one to be picked out with ease, they never settled after that and continued making a racket all the time I was there. A peregrine visited later but carried on over Eastwards – perhaps it wasn’t hungry! Only other species of note were two Black Terns dipping in to the freshwater scrapes and a Spotted Redshank, again on the scrape. Everything … Continue reading Frampton Marsh

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Freiston shore.

Trevor Lee

Sat.24/08/2013 I arrived mid morning,the tide was heading out.It had been a high one but I was too lazy to get there early.A birder I know had just returned to his car and informed me he’d seen sixteen black terns at high tide.Jeepers!. I dashed to the seawatching hide,hoping that one or two may be lingering-they were-and there were more than sixteen !. I watched them for some time and enjoyed their delicate flight and feeding.They were always distant,at one stage they all went higher and I got a count of thirty two.A couple of them landed and rested on … Continue reading Freiston shore.

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Blackmoor Farm 23/08/2013

Trevor Lee

Almost completely dry now, a couple of hours here didn’t throw up much of any interest with birds. There were four Ringed Plover and a single Oystercatcher with a good number of Pied Wagtails and even larger numbers (30+) of Yellow Wagtails and a good flock of Linnets but very little else of note. So it was bug hunting but, although it was very warm, there were few Butterflies and even fewer Dragons – perhaps it was because of the heavy cloud cover. A good number of Emerald Damsels though but strangely all males! Perhaps last night’s rain may liven … Continue reading Blackmoor Farm 23/08/2013

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Baltic Type Gull

Trevor Lee

Baltic Type Gull There has been a very large flock of Lesser Black backs around Brant Broughton all week , in excess of 1000, with a few Yellow legs scattered amongst them. I pulled in to scan through them last night and immediately noticed a small black one amongst them, I let out a few profanities as it took flight ! It was noticeably smaller than the Graellsii, with a very small ‘pigeon ‘ head, its mantle was as black as its wing tips with no discernible difference between the two, even in flight, a very very striking bird. Trev Continue reading Baltic Type Gull

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Witham mouth.

Trevor Lee

Witham mouth 22/08/2013 Love it there,lots of birds today,with c.50 common and 12 sandwich were a couple of little terns,both juvs.Lots of waders including whimbrel,(no scarcities) and lots of gulls.About 30 little egrets seen. On the reservoir at Freiston were 24 ruffs,nearly all juvs,2 common sands,green sand,3 dunlin,greenshank,5 black tailed godwits and 30+ yellow wags. Today’s butterfly top three.All at the Witham mouth.In reverse order. ——————————————————————————————————————- At #3. Painted lady. ——————————————————————————————————————- At #2. Small copper,4or5 seen. ———————————————————————————————————————– And,at #1. Wall brown,first one of those Iv’e seen for absolutely yonks.   Continue reading Witham mouth.