A new reserve visited this time out, a place in North Lincolnshire, been on the radar for a number of years. Arriving at 8:15am I was a bit too early for the visitor centre car park, opens at 9am, so I ventured down to the Chowder Ness Car Park, opens at 8am.
Took me a few minutes to get togged up, winter, I was soon looking along the shoreline finding Lapwings, Dunlin, Redshanks, Wigeon, Black headed Gulls and Herring Gulls. Venturing then onto the reserve at a nearby pool, here I found plenty of Redwing and Blackbirds along the hedgerows, a singing Song Thrush was nearby, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck and Shovelers were on the pool.
It had got to 9:30am, so I packed up at Chowder ness and travelled up to the Visitor Centre, FAR INGS INFO, on arrival I settled in the close by family Hide, which overlooks the Pursuit Pit, from here I saw Black headed Gulls, ♂♀ Marsh Harriers, Teal, Mallards and Cormorants. After the rain had settled I slowly made my way down to the Ness End Farm Hide along the Viking Way, plenty of thrush action along this footpath also on the Bittern trail, namely Blackbirds and Redwing but also a Goldcrest. Down at the Ness farm Hide, a few folk in this one, a quick scan around produced Cormorants, Tufted Duck, Mallards, Mute Swan, a pair of ♀ Goldeneye, sitting and waiting produced a Robin amongst the reeds, then I got a glimpse of reed movement, I was hoping for a Bittern, turned out to be a Water Rail making its way from one patch of reed to the other, quickly, unfortunately to brief for a photo.
After dinner i parked up at the Ness Farm carpark and did another brief visit to the Ness farm Hide again in the vain hope of catching the Water Rail again, no show. Leaving this hide I made my way around to the target hide, where there was a bit more action around here, Kestrel hunting over the nearby field, from the hide Shoveler, Mallard, Gadwall, Lapwing, Tufted Duck, Teal, Pochard and a couple of Redshank.
Video Vlog of the Day can be viewed by pressing THIS LINK
Bird List : Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Cettis warbler, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Long tailed Tit, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pochard, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Shoveler, Song Thrush, Teal, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Wigeon (34)
Huddsbirder 