Saturday 24 October 2009

More Inner Marsh Farm

The weather has been so changeable this last few days hasn't it. I took advantage of breaks in the cloud this afternoon to go back to Inner Marsh Farm RSPB reserve. I wanted to look at it more objectively than I have on my last few visits.

Unfortunately as always seems to be the case the hide was obviously designed with bird watchers in mind, those with scopes. It is too high and too far away from the action for photographers, certainly too far away. The viewing openings are a little too narrow although one can get a 600mm lens through the openings, just.

All this said though I find myself loving the place. I have sat for hour after hour in the hide on three occasions and despite the fact that stuff is too far away I have seen so much. Today for example I saw: Little Egret, Redshank, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Black Tailed Godwit, Greylag, Canada Goose, Peregrine, Raven, Wood Pigeon, Water rail, Goldfinch, Coal tit, Blue tit, Great tit, Wren, Long Tailed tit, Buzzard, Rook, Magpie, Black Headed Gull, Teal, Snipe and, Mallard duck.

The place has meadow, marsh, water, and Wooded areas and must appeal to a very varied range of bird and wildlife.

Here are a few pics of what I saw today.
Greylag Geese.
Black Tailed Godwit.


Redshank, lots of little groups.

But also odd individuals.

Little Egret.


The most interesting were a pair of snipe, Unfortunately this is quite a heavy crop.


This not so much so, the pair were about one foot apart. You can see them both in this picture.


The weather really was hit and miss. I still enjoyed the afternoon though.