RSPB Frampton Marsh & Newport Wetlands :: 16-17 August 2024

I'd taken the day off to assist in taking and retrieving my wife's car for a service in Northampton. I'd offered a lunch out and managed to swing the lunch to be at RSPB Frampton Marsh, just a 2hr onward journey from Northampton. Having dropped off the car, been delayed by some roadworks on the way, we arrived and opted for an early lunch so as to allow an easy estimate of when we'd need to leave and return to pick up her car.

We set out onto the reserve and stopped to listen for bearded reedlings on the corner of the main track to the sea wall, and the path to the 360 Hide. A reed warbler flew across but there were no calls from any beardies. We pushed on and reached the mound opposite the track down to the 360 Hide, joining a lady on a scope scanning the reed bed. While I'd been waiting for my wife to drop of the keys at the garage, I'd had a look at X and seen that Dawn Erskine @dawn_mission (someone I follow on the platform) had posted they were visiting Frampton today - I was pretty sure that this was her. I went over and introduced myself, and sure enough it was her! - lovely person and we had a short chat - so good to meet people in the flesh rather than only converse on t'internet. She pointed out a bar-headed goose in front of some greylag geese and spoonbills, and mentioned she'd seen two wood sandpipers from the 360 Hide (although very distant and into the sun).

The bar-headed goose is an occasional visitor to the UK, though it is not native to the region. This species is native to Central Asia, where it breeds around high-altitude lakes and migrates over the Himalayas to winter in South Asia. Almost all sightings of bar-headed geese in the UK are usually attributed to escapees from wildfowl collections as they are popular ornamental birds due to their striking appearance.

From the 360 Hide we could see just a few very distant pools of water - the main area was completely bone dry, dry as a bone. Allowing wild pools to naturally dry out and then flood again can be highly beneficial for providing food for wintering wildfowl. This natural cycle creates a dynamic habitat that supports a rich variety of invertebrates, aquatic plants, and seeds, which are vital food sources for birds. The Reserve has a plan …

This cyclical process mimics natural wetland conditions, promoting biodiversity and providing abundant food resources that are crucial for the survival and health of wildfowl during the winter months. Managing wetlands in this way can be an effective conservation strategy to support bird populations but at this moment in time meant that there was bugger all to see. Well, that is not completely true - there were a few teal and mallards in a far pool and as I focussed in, there were the two wood sandpipers, just as advertised. Fortunately, one left the cover of a shallow island and allowed us a better look, but the heat haze and distance made any photograph a record shot at best.

We pushed on to the Reedbed Hide and met up again with Dawn who had just seen a juvenile water rail on the far reed line - she was buzzing as it had been a target since she saw some on the internet recently. We spent a bit longer in this hide but there was nothing of specific note.

We worked around until we were on the sea wall and benefited from the breeze - it was getting quite warm. We passed avocets, redshank, dunlin, ringed plover, lapwing, black-tailed godwits, amongst others, and then bumped into Dawn yet again - she must have thought we were stalking her! Just beyond were three birders watching a single curlew sandpiper - Charlotte jumped on one of the scopes trained on the bird. Again, the heat haze and distance made photography a bit pointless.

Curlew sandpipers are regular visitors at RSPB Frampton Marsh as the reserve is particularly attractive to waders like due to its extensive mudflats, saltmarshes, and freshwater scrapes, which provide ideal feeding and roosting habitats. During migration, they stop over to refuel on their long journeys between their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra and their wintering sites in Africa. The best time to see curlew sandpipers at RSPB Frampton is typically during the autumn migration (late summer to early autumn), when they pass through the UK in significant numbers.

We spotted a couple of yellow wagtails, curlews, oystercatchers, and more black-tailed godwits, but the scrapes were surprisingly quiet. We walked back to the car park as we had to pick up the car before the service reception closed and had to allow for potential traffic hold-ups on the way. As we approached the car park my eyes were drawn to what initially appeared to be a flying grey heron, but the shape didn't sit well. On inspection it turned out to be a common crane, again distant and through heat haze. To our right and on the water beyond the Visitor's Centre the number of black-tailed godwits could be seen to be increasing - soon there will be thousands.

With nothing local, Kev and I thought to head for Goldcliff Pools, the sea wall and RSPB Newport Wetlands on the Saturday morning, hoping that something of interest might drop in. It was windy and after a breakfast in Newport we made for the sea wall first, along the stretch where the Baird's sandpiper had been a couple of weeks earlier - not that I'd managed to find an opportunity to visit and tick it. In fact, the wind seemed to be blowing a bit less here and we watched as flocks of ringed plovers and dunlin worked along the shore with flyby curlews.

The odd turnstone appeared too on the shore and hirundines gathered in the fields behind. After a while we decided that there was nothing more to add and made for the main RSPB Newport Wetlands Centre and parked up. We entered the reserve and walked past the Visitor's Centre as they hadn't yet opened for coffee. We stopped and watched a couple of reed warblers still provisioning some youngsters, and a particularly yellow willow warbler. We made for the main reed beds and spotted some large dragonflies on the way, including this Southern hawker which landed on the edge of the track.

We walked through the reed bed hoping that we might come across a bearded reedling but didn't hear a peep or see one in flight - their movement is often undulating, with brief glides between bursts of flapping. Their flight calls, a characteristic "pinging" sound, can be heard as they move through the reeds. No such luck in connecting today. There were more hirundines, dominated by swallows that occasionally landed on perches out in the scrub. A couple of stonechats entertained, hovering for a considerable time but at large distance. Out on the shore we could see some gulls with one of the dark birds seeming to be harassing the others, much as a skua would - Kev had some views that were hopeful, but I never had a view that would be definitive.

We had a nice walk around but eventually worked back to the Visitor's Centre for lunch, sitting outside on the deck. We were watching handfuls of moorhens when I picked out a juvenile water rail at the far end of the pool. It was initially in amongst the reeds but eventually showed a little in front. It showed for a couple of minutes before disappearing right and out of view. A nice bird and funny to think of Dawn seeing one just the day before.

We made our way back around and through the central track and saw a kingfisher over and through. Kev mentioned that he was looking to see cinnabar moths on the ragwort, so we kept our eyes open. Soon we found a colony, localised but dozens of the blighters. Cinnabar moth caterpillars are striking and easily recognisable due to their bold black and yellow (or orange) stripes. These caterpillars are the larval stage of the day-flying cinnabar moth. They primarily feed on ragwort plants, which contain toxic alkaloids and by consuming these toxins, the caterpillars themselves become poisonous, which helps to deter birds and other potential predators. They are often seen in large numbers on ragwort, where they can sometimes completely strip the plants of leaves.

In an hour or so we were back in the car and heading for Goldcliff Pools - Kev has managed to be bitten 7 or 8 times but didn't mention the discomfort he was in - he had been climbing through the scrub to check out a relatively inaccessible pool. There were more hirundines gathered on the wires beside the road, and a single yellow wagtail as we arrived. We walked down the path and onto the pools, with little on view as we settled into the first hide. We went to the. second and third before we spending some time watching little grebes and assorted wildfowl on the limited available water.

We watched some pied wagtails and then to our surprise we saw a stoat running from right to left against the far reed line. They are part of the weasel family and are known for their slender bodies, short legs, and bushy tails with a distinctive black tip. Stoats are widespread across the UK and are found in a variety of habitats. Stoats have a brown upper coat, white or cream underparts, and a bushy tail with a black tip. In colder northern regions, they may turn almost completely white in winter, a phase known as "ermine," which helps them blend into snowy environments. They are larger than weasels, typically measuring 20-30 cm (excluding the tail) and weighing between 150-300 grams.

As predators, stoats play a crucial role in controlling populations of small mammals. However, they can also impact ground-nesting bird populations, especially in areas where birds are already vulnerable.

Once the stoat has reached the leftmost reed bed, I scanned back to find a second individual out in front and distant. It paused long enough to get a slightly better photo.

We marched up and down trying to find something of note but in the end we had to return to the car and make for home. Our last bird of the day was another kingfisher, only heard, by the small bridge.

RSPB Otmoor :: 10 August 2024

With Kev @kev07713 away with his wife Karen in Cornwall and on the Scillies, I looked around for what to do on Saturday. There had been a rosy starling down on Keyhaven Marshes, Lymington earlier on Friday but it had flown at a little after 2.00pm. There wasn't anything else within reach - all major bird activity looked to be on pelagic trips or from distant seawatch sites.

Instead I opted to make my way down to RSPB Otmoor to see the leucistic juvenile marsh harriers reported through July - late to the party as usual - there are two individuals likely exhibiting the genetic condition called leucism. This causes a reduction in pigmentation, resulting in birds that have much paler feathers than normal but retain some colour, unlike albinos which have no pigmentation at all. One of the harriers is noticeably larger than the other, indicating they may be of different sexes. Additionally, an adult male with unusually pale plumage has been observed on the reserve. However, a source on X suggests that this colouration might result from inadequate or unbalanced nutrition and/or stress during the growth of juvenile feathers. This could have led to the feathers becoming fragile and resulting in pale and translucent patterns. I'd seen photos and it was worth connecting with them.

I arrived at 6.15am to find I was the first on site; it might be the first time this has happened as even when in the dark previously, someone got there first. I made my way to and along the bridle path, hearing and then seeing a couple of green woodpeckers but seeing little else. A roe deer welcomed me as I reached the kissing gate to make my way down to 1st Screen, soon prancing further out into Greenaways.

I could see another birder with a camera back down the track, but I decided to push on to 1st Screen and set up and wait for the marsh harriers. It wasn't long before I was joined by Paul Mallarini and we exchanged sightings - a bit sparse. There wasn't anything of note on the water either. We could see a couple of distant marsh harriers but not those I was waiting for, and though they flew briefly, much of the time they just roosted on top of far bushes. While there was little of note, the species count ticked along. A kingfisher landed directly in front of Paul but as we raised cameras it spooked and departed out across the water. Eventually Paul and I decided to leave - he headed back to the car park while I continued down to 2nd Screen. As we left Peter Barker and Co arrived and we exchanged pleasantries before I set off listening to and seeing a number of sedge warblers, green woodpeckers, and chiffchaff along the way.

I got to 2nd Screen and immediately saw all three egrets (little, great white and cattle) roosting on exposed mud; they were all preening and in the company of a grey heron.

The great white egret is a larger and less common species than the little egret, with an all-white plumage, long black legs, and a yellow bill. It has been increasing in numbers in recent years, with breeding first recorded in the early 2000s, they are now seen regularly.

The cattle egret is the rarest of the three egret species - smaller than the great white and more robust than the little egret. It has a stockier build, with a short, thick neck, and during the breeding season, they display distinctive orange-buff plumes on their head, chest, and back. There were c.12 individuals which I think was about half the number reported the previous day. The first recorded breeding of cattle egrets in the UK occurred in 2008 in Somerset. This marked a significant expansion of the species into the UK, reflecting broader changes in bird distribution patterns across Europe, likely influenced by climate change.

In front and to the right were handfuls of snipe and a single common sandpiper; the ringed plover from the previous day had departed. I heard water rails call but there were no views. Within ten minutes Peter and his posse arrived, joining the search for anything in the fringes, but nothing was found.

I started back to the 1st Screen and soon after I got there one of the leucistic juveniles appeared across the reedbed on the far hedge line. It dropped and perched on a bush, just before the second appeared. For a minute or so both birds took to the air but never close enough for me to get them in the same frame. At this distance and with a grey sky I was only ever going to get record shots - they were beautiful. After another few minutes they dropped from view.

I walked back to the bridleway and met another birder - we walked and chatted, occasionally splitting but eventually joining up again. I could see one of the leucistic marsh harriers across at the back of Greenaways, but it didn't venture into range and soon dropped from view.

We reached the car park and I decided that I'd take a stroll down Long Meadow and see if I could find any common redstarts. I saw a single willow warbler and a few chiffchaff, but no redstarts. I started back and spotted a couple of birds dropping into a bush in the meadow and through bins could see they were lesser whitethroats. They left into the hedgerow along the edge of the meadow, and I walked on.

Looking back I saw another four lesser whitethroats drop in and then two blackcap, a spotted flycatcher, and a bullfinch - quite a haul for a single bush! Soon they all departed and were replaced by two more lesser whitethroats, likely the pair from earlier.

The weather was not improving, and a very light drizzle started to fall - not enough to make you wet. I checked out all the bushes again on my return down the meadow but added nothing more, failing to locate a redstart.

A decent species count for the morning at 52.