The day started at Budby Common at 8am, very quiet on the walk in, seeing Goldcrest, Blue Tit and Long tailed Tits. Once we were in the clearing, we picked a solo Woodlark, preening on a fence post, we were of course hoping to pick up on a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, our efforts were in vain, this is a bird that is on the increasing down list, and is becoming a rare UK species, we heard Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker and Nuthatch. After an hour at the LSW site we decided on going back to the car, back at the car park, mulling over what to do next, we saw Buzzards and Red Kites, over dinner we decided on Willow Tree Fen and Frampton Marsh
Willow Tree Fen on the approach roads gave many, Buzzards and a group of Cattle Egrets, plenty of Mute Swans and a Stonechat. Willow Tree gave us what we went for, with a few Common Cranes, with plenty of Marsh Harriers, with one bird in particular in displaying mode. Other birds a Willow Tree were Shovelers, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teala couple of Great Egrets, a close Buzzard coming in and settling close by also lots of Starlings, a few Fieldfares, a sizeable amount of Golden Plovers and Lapwing, a Kestrel doing what Kestrels do, hover.
On then to the favourite place, Frampton Marsh and here once again I didn’t know where to look first, lots to see and hear. Visitor Centre stop and look from here, we saw Whooper Swans, Greylag Geese, a distant ale Scaup in with the Tufted Duck, Pintail, Teal. Walking on then down to the saltmarsh area, then the dilemma of which side to look first, lots going on, Brent Geese, Redshank, Oystercatcher flocks of Dunlin, Ruff and Black tailed Godwits, Black headed Gulls, Curlew, Wigeon, Gadwall and sat on a fence post a Peregrine, probably a female due to the size.
At the saltmarsh there were mainly Marsh Harriers moving about, a walk along the bank, towards the river gave us, Ringed Plover, Ruff, Avocet, Black tailed Godwit and Black headed Gulls. We finally made it around to the 360° hide, where we spotted, Wigeon, Snipe, Pintail, Avocet, Meadow Pipit and a distant Barn Owl. Final stop was the reedbed hide, where we viewed the Scaup again, along with a brief encounter with the Barn Owl
Birds Seen Budby : Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Long tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Red Kite, Redwing, Robin, Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Woodlark, Woodpigeon (13)
Birds Seen Willow Tree : Black headed Gull, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Cattle Egret, Collared Dove, Common Crane, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Golden Plover, Great Egret, Greylag Goose, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Pintail, Shoveler, Starling, Stonechat, Teal, Wigeon, (20)
Birds Seen Frampton Marsh : Avocet, Barn Owl, Black tailed Godwit, Brent Goose, Curlew, Dunlin, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pintail, Pochard, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Ruff, Scaup, Shelduck, Shoveler, Snipe, Starling, Teal, Tufted Duck, Whooper Swan, Wigeon (33) 131/200
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