January 2008
Stodmarsh and Sandwich Bay.
20/01/08
One of 4 Lapland Buntings at Sandwich Bay this afternoon.
A walk around the Stodmarsh reserve this morning, with Allan Ashdown, Ray Clarrie and Jim Johnson, stopping in the Reed bed hide and the Marsh hide, to shelter from the North Westerly wind, produced very little. I think we managed 40 + species, nothing out of the ordinary, with a smart male Peregrine Falcon, a pair of Pintails and also several Water Pipits being the pick of the bunch. A small flock of about 12 Siskin’s were in the Alder wood, and a pair of Common Snipe were sheltering in the reeds outside the windows in the Reed bed hide. We bumped into Martyn Wilson, who picked out a Mediterranean Gull on the main lake, and about 6 or 7 Marsh Harriers were seen during the morning. I left to visit Sandwich Bay, and promptly see my first Lapland Buntings, 4 in number, which were showing well, although a strong wind and no tripod made photographing them a little tricky. Nice to see, and another new life tick for me.