Oh So Quiet

I spent an hour at Inner Marsh Farm this morning. Ever heard the one about dogs looking like their owners? Well I would like to develop this theory a little - to birders looking like birds. The chap sitting next to me this morning had a pair of fierce and piercing eyes fit to make any self respecting Goshawk – and serial killer for that matter – green with envy.

Very few birds on the pools this morning, so I spent the majority of my time watching two Lesser-blacked Back Gulls and a brace of Carrion Crows arguing over a fetid Mallard carcass. The summer funk is very nearly upon us now, although technically the southerly migration will commence next month with a trickle of returning waders.

A pair of Oystercatchers has nested on the small island on number 2 pool; let’s hope that they are successful, especially after the failure of the Avocets. Given the long list of potential predators on the manor, I would not hold out too much hope.

I decided to re-locate to Connah’s Quay for the high tide. Oakenholt Marsh was doing good business with around 400 roosting Shelduck. On the Ash Pool both Mute Swans and Canada Geese were with newly hatched young.

It may be my fertile imagination, but it appeared that a few adjustments had been made to the marsh as the tide seemed to envelop certain areas of it much earlier on in the tide cycle, leading to the flooding of more sections.

Curlew had built up in numbers since my last visit – probably failed breeders. Oystercatchers had also bolstered their ranks to around 200 birds. Ridiculous name, Oystercatcher, after all, how many times have you seen them eating oysters? I propose Cocklecracker or Musslebreaker, although I am also fond of an old name: The Sea Pie.

Until later.