Bags of birds down at Inner Marsh Farm this morning, reflecting the excellent numbers of wildfowl currently present at the base of the estuary.Wigeon in particular seem to be around in very good numbers, with flocks well into the hundreds at White Sands, Connah’s Quay, Burton Marsh and IMF.
Good news on the Shortie front too – I bumped into ‘a source’ at Denhall Lane this morning and he said that twenty-one were counted on Burton Marsh during Saturday afternoon – makes my maximum of seven this winter look paltry!
Teal and Lapwing are also legion and it was the large flock of circa 750 plovers that provided the most entertainment by seemingly entering a new higher state of neurosis in spending the best part of two hours in alarm and in the air at IMF.
There were a couple of foxes prowling the margins and a Sparrowhawk through, but it wasn’t until a male Peregrine zipped past that there was any hint of an explanation for their continued nervous behaviour.
A Greenshank and a couple of Spotted Redshanks were next on the scene with both species giving me a refresher in wader call identification by announcing their arrival audibly before dropping into number two pool.
The only disappointment this morning was the no-show of Herr Bittern, but superb close views of a ringtail Hen Harrier harrying Woodpigeons as I returned to the car park was a decent second prize…
Inner Marsh Farm 27.01.10
1 Peregrine (male)
1 Hen Harrier (ringtail)
1 Sparrowhawk
6 Ruff
2 Spotted Redshank
1 Greenshank
Until later.
2 comments:
Great photos. I spend a lot of time at Inner Marsh with my dad. Forgive me for seeming thick though but is a 'shortie' a Short-Eared Owl?
Hi Jenny,
Yes, you are right, Shorties are my rather lazy abbreviation (why is that such a long word) for Short-eared Owls.
Burton Marsh is the best place by my reckoning to see them in good numbers, although at Parkagate they tend to be closer in, but fewer in number.
Cheers, P.
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