Brandon Marsh :: 11 January 2015

Arriving at the reserve I found cars parked from the entrance right down to the visitor centre. It appeared that Morris dancers were celebrating the wassail at Brandon Marsh. Fortunately there were still spaces in the car park. The tearoom was rammed full so I went straight out onto the reserve - possibly a first.

An amazing number of jays were visible around the site, as were people from Mansfield. The RSPB Mansfield Local Group had brought a bus load. Great to see so many enthusiastic friendly people around. Stopped to talk with a couple of the guys only to find they had spotted a water rail skulking alongside the path and we stalked it down the path until it disappeared from view. No photo as the little blighter just wouldn't show in the clear.

No such problem later when a water rail decided to pose and then swim to cover. A decent record shot. Almost immediately followed by a kingfisher catching fish out of the other window. Lots of excitement for a few minutes.

Sightings for the day (37) included: buzzard, blue tit, feral pigeon, moorhen, carrion crow, black headed gull, kestrel, bullfinch, jay, coot, mute swan, gadwall, shoveler, mallard, tufted duck, cormorant, lapwing, wigeon, shelduck, lesser black backed gull, blackbird, chaffinch, water rail, canada goose, magpie, teal, wood pigeon, stock dove, kingfisher, greylag goose, pochard, goldeneye, robin, great tit, nuthatch, coal tit and dunnock.

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.

Brandon Marsh :: 5 May 2014

Very late post of a visit to the reserve in the spring half term. It has been sitting in my inbox for a while.

The day's sightings (21) included: carrion crow, pied wagtail, coot, mallard, black headed gull, cormorant, woodpigeon, blue tit, robin, reed bunting, blackcap, starling, chaffinch, blackbird, greylag goose, grey heron, swallow, red kite, great crested grebe, common tern and black tern.

From the numbers of species it can be seen that it was a quiet day on the reserve.

Brandon Marsh :: 15 April 2014

More than six months since we were here last. Saw photos when the site was more flooded but it seems to be back to usual again. Car park was full - well I suppose it is the school Easter break, that's why I was out on a Tuesday.

Began with lunch in the Badger tearoom. Decided that bacon and brie on a baguette trumps the panini. Then out onto the reserve and the glorious weather. No jay for Charlotte and missing the kingfisher wasn't ideal, but great spotted woodpecker and bullfinch to finish kept her happy.

So many chiffchaffs out on the reserve. Blackcaps too. Heard many whitethroats, but not one single sighting. The scrape on East Marsh was really quiet as was Newlands from the Carlton hide. Good on species, slow on numbers, other than warblers.

Today's sightings (46) included: magpie, greylag goose, great tit, chaffinch, pheasant, reed bunting, blue tit, dunnock, robin, pied wagtail, coal tit, carrion crow, coot, canada goose, tufted duck, mallard, grey heron, moorhen, kestrel, chiffchaff, blackbird, mute swan, great crested grebe, black headed gull, garden warbler, lapwing, cormorant, oystercatcher, redshank, gadwall, shoveler, blackcap, teal, sand martin, lesser black backed gull, little ringed plover, snipe, buzzard, kingfisher, little grebe, housemartin, woodpigeon, wren, great spotted woodpecker, feral pigeon and bullfinch.

BOS Alkerton/Balscote Quarry :: 22 March 2014

Dropped in to see if anything had changed on the site. Nothing different on the water with wigeon and shoveler still present. Cold in the wind. Missed a photo of the kestrel playing with a buzzard. Shame - it would have been nice to have them both in the same shot.

Sightings (22) included: kestrel, blackbird, great tit, pheasant, blue tit, greenfinch, goldfinch, woodpigeon, chaffinch, coot, mallard, dunnock, stock dove, moorhen, shoveler, wigeon, snipe, buzzard, robin, carrion crow, lapwing and black headed gull.

Saw green woodpecker flying across the field as I turned to North Newington from Wroxton. I wonder if it one of the pair we often see around the quarry?

Draycote Water :: 15 March 2014

All of humanity seemed to have turned out to Draycote Water today. Car Park full. It didn't bode well for catching a glimpse of the long-staying great northern diver. Having made the mistake of heading clockwise to the 'Valve Tower' last time, when sightings were off Farnborough Spit, anti-clockwise it was. Straight-away a group of meadow pipits and two wheatear caught my attention on the bank below the footpath. They didn't seem too bothered by the cars, cyclists, runners and walkers passing by.
If I was going to make a full circuit this time then I'd need to get a shift on. Too many people on the water around to the hide and so not much chance of catching up with the diver here. More than 20 great crested grebes had taken shelter in the shallows around the hide. The favourite fishing spots seemed to be mainly on the north side and again not much to be noted here either. This wasn't looking good.
Back to 'Valve Tower' and just the march home. But no, there it was ... in amongst a few coot and great crested grebes. Must have been pushed to shore by the leisure boats and fisherman. Easy viewing, other than the long distances travelled underwater and appearing somewhere completely different. At last.
Sightings for the day (35) included: coot, mallard, canada goose, tufted duck, rook, meadow pipit, wheatear, great crested grebe, black-headed gull, common gull, lesser black backed gull, carrion crow, pied wagtail, teal, moorhen, reed bunting, great tit, blue tit, dunnock, woodpigeon, magpie, robin, wigeon, gadwall, wren, chaffinch, little grebe, blackbird, jackdaw, long tailed tit, mute swan, cormorant, great northern diver, goldeneye and redwing.

RSPB Otmoor :: 22 February 2014

Dropped 'her indoors' off at her tennis match and skipped off to RSPB Otmoor. Conditions were wet underfoot but not as bad as I'd feared. Fields were underwater but the paths were all pretty passable. The car park was as full as I've ever seen it. People didn't seem to be congregating anywhere around the reserve but when I got to the 1st screen there was a small group all focussed across the reeds to the hedgerow. Sure enough a couple of minutes later, up rose a hen harrier (female) which quartered the reedline along the hedgerow and then over. Short but sweet, unfortunately too distant for decent photos. Up rose flocks of lapwing and golden plover as the harrier progressed rightwards and out of site. The others drifted off but I waited a few minutes in hope of a repeat - none came.

I pushed on to the second screen where I was told that I'd just missed a brief show from the bittern - damn, if only. Never mind, next time.

Today's sightings (32) included: magpie, lapwing, kestrel, starling, mallard, chaffinch, great tit, blue tit, pheasant, great spotted woodpecker, marsh tit, canada goose, red kite, coot, wigeon, shoveler, buzzard, teal, little egret, hen harrier, tufted duck, great crested grebe, gadwall, golden plover, pochard, black headed gull, woodpigeon, blackbird, reed bunting, cormorant, robin and wren.