Brandon Marsh :: 28 October 2014

Five months since I last got out for a visit to a reserve. Having been away so frequently recently, it is nice to have a few days off and take time to do some things for myself.

After a quick trip to the shops and a little driving practice with my daughter, it was off to WWT Brandon Marsh with Charlotte. Lunch at the Badger tearoom followed by some fresh air as we strolled around the reserve. Caught the nuthatch at the feeders outside the Visitor Centre but it was slow progress as we made our way round passed the edge of the golf course. We hoped to see the jay as it is quite a good time to see them out and about with so much food on the trees, but no luck. Stopped for a seat at the turn and watched a kestrel hover looking for lunch. Just as we were about to leave we had a fly past from a jay right over our heads - tremendous. On our way to the East Marsh hide a kingfisher provided another fly past.

From the Carlton Hide we had several jay sightings and then again from the new hide beyond that. To cap it all, we then had a jay drop onto a fence post just ahead of us as we made our way back the the Visitor Centre as light started to fade - probably our best ever encounter, although light levels made photos difficult.

A good afternoon in pleasant autumnal conditions.

Our sightings for the day (36) included: magpie, great tit, chaffinch, pied wagtail, blue tit, robin, pheasant, feral pigeon, greenfinch, woodpigeon, carrion crow, dunnock, blackbird, nuthatch, buzzard, long tailed tit, kestrel, black headed gull, jay, shoveler, coot, mute swan, tufted duck, gadwall, wigeon, mallard, moorhen, lapwing, starling, common gull, lesser black backed gull, teal, greylag goose, kingfisher, wren and grey heron.