Lightning doesn't strike twice. After the thrills of the great white egret yesterday I set out today to carry on the good work. First stop was the WWF at Barnes. I was hoping for a jack snipe, which overwinter there and have started to appear. I got to the Peacock tower just after opening but the grazing marsh was still pretty dry. The vegetation was long as well. Both of those didn't help and despite the best efforts of myself and other birders all we could get were 4 dozing common snipe. I did find a rather nice female sparrowhawk in a tree near the hide which stayed still long enough for the odd photo!
By lunchtime I realised it wasn't going to happen, so I headed off back home. I thought I might try Maple Lodge again just in case the great white was still in residence. It wasn't. Nobody had seen it all day so it must have moved to one of the other local lakes. Even the little egrets weren't playing ball. I did spend a merry couple of hours in the hide with Len and Dave and a few birds popped up. The green sandpipers were flitting about the muddy margins, squeaking at each other if they got too close.
The herons were fishing the decreasing pools, although we didn't see them catch anything. Who knows, perhaps they are fishing it out now. They did put on one or two fly-pasts of the hide though.
Finally, there is a very tame robin in one of the hides, who comes in as soon as you open the flaps. He has learnt that people are more than happy to share their sandwiches with him....
Stormy weather ahead over the weekend so perhaps it might drop in a good bird or two somewhere near here. Lets hope!
No comments:
Post a Comment