My Diary
Minster for a Red Rump
23/04/10
Barn Owl.
I had a drive down to Minster after work this afternoon, in bright sunshine and a cloudless sky. There had been a Red Rumped Swallow present for a few days, seen feeding over the water treatment plant out on the Minster marshes, so having never seen one, Off I went. I still have never seen one. I met Dylan Wrathall, Gadget and Phil Parker as I pulled up, and I joined them, and we walked around the perimeter of the treatment plant, down to the river Stour where we looked out over the Ash levels. Thanks to Dylan and Gadget, whom had local knowledge of the site, making navigation a little easier for me, on what was only my second ever visit to the area. Common and Lesser Whitethroat were seen and heard, a couple of Sedge Warblers were chattering away down by the river, as was a Reed Warbler. We looked out over the Minster marshes, hoping for a sighting of a White Stork that was reported earlier over Thanet, but to no avail. A Fox was sitting basking in the afternoon sun, and the mixed singer was pointed out to me, a Chiff/Willow looking Warbler with a mixed song made up of part Chiffchaff and part Willow Warbler, leaving me with absolutely no idea what it is. A Yellow Wagtail posed briefly on top of a small tree, and a few photos were taken, although in truth it was probably just a little too far away. We then went around to the front of the Water treatment plant, where I was able to see my first House Martins of the year, where they were in the company of several Barn Swallows, and also 3 Sand Martins. Gadget and Dylan left for home, so I walked around the perimeter of the treatment plant once more, where I was able to view a hunting Barn Owl out over the Minster marshes. This made up for the dip on the Red Rump, as a few photos were obtained as it strayed within range on one occasion. A great piece of habitat, leaving me wondering why I never venture there more often, especially as it is only a few miles from my home in Sturry.