Tuesday 5 February 2013

Inner Marsh Farm - 8 October 2012


A bright morning and the prospect of some autumnal sun had me dashing off for an early start at IMF. The sky turned very grey during the journey and my thoughts turned to last weeks rain dodging and an abandoned visit to this venue. This time I arrived dry, if a little under-dressed for the chilling breeze that greeted me inside the east-facing hide.

Out on #2 pool were 250 Lapwing, 100 Teal and 3 Snipe. Within minutes of my arrival, all but the Snipe were sent skyward as a female Merlin raced in low from the north and along the near water line.

Everything soon settled but there was little movement over the next hour. A single Blackwit arrived but did not stay long. The Snipe flew off to the north although one well-camouflaged bird remained in front of the hide. A single male Shoveler arrived, followed by 7 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshanks and 5 Greylags. A Grey Heron appeared in the longish scrub to the east and was oblivious to the sheep that roamed around it. I wonder if – like me – the heron had a giggle at the sight of one sheep carrying 9 Starling on its back!

With the easterly breeze still biting, I thought of moving on. Suddenly the short, sharp flight call of a Kingfisher pierced the air and the grey panorama was set alight by the flash of bright blue as it darted passed, looped around the border end of the pool, streamed back low over the islands where it spooked a few Lapwing and disappeared to the north-west. Amazing… yet another Kingfisher √ and my second in 3 days. Warmed… I headed home.

Snipe in front of IMF hide - easy to spot once you know it's there!

 Ballooning on gossamer thread, this Autumnal Spider paid me a visit at IMF



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