Translate

Tuesday 2 February 2016

The Pink Foot and the Barnacles.

24/01/16-

Hi readers, here I am back with another post to fill your eyes with all things birding. There hasn't been a post from the valley in a while so I will be sure to do one soon but this weeks post covers a visit to Doxey Marshes a reserve I don't get to go to as often as perhaps I should do. The list was prompted by a sighting of a Pink Footed Goose on the reserve which drew us in to have a look around. We walked from the start to the end of the reserve to see fully what was around. In the brick hide was where we began looking around and managed to see two Little Egrets looking around for some food in the water. As well as this we had three Reed Bunting showing well in front of us, in addition a Kestrel was hunting over the marshes and showing quite well throughout our sit in the hide.

We promptly moved on to the far hide hoping the in hope of seeing the goose there. We arrived and were given what we wanted to see. The Pink Footed Goose was sitting with another Greylag goose and showing reasonably well, it was doing a lot of preening so difficult to see its face but it gave us a few decent glimpses that concluded the ID. I noticed the bird was a little smaller than the Greylags which for me was an important observation. We stuck around in the hide for a little longer to see what else may have been around we managed to see two nice looking Barnacle Geese which were showing well also amongst a group of Greylags. In addition we had a few Goosander around the pool. Another nice bird that we managed to see was a female Pintail which showed well conveniently quite near to the Pink Footed Goose. So success! we got what we came for which left us pretty chuffed with the trip out. On the way back we were treated to a high pitched call which I had never heard before which turned out to be a Water Rail calling in a way I hadn't heard before as I'm used the the pig squeal they do. The bird showed very briefly but also very well as it sneaked through the reeds.

The Pink Foot is on the right. 
Thats your lot for this post, probably the best afternoons birding of the year so far this. With University I don't get to go out birding quite as much so we often just go for an odd twitch lately. We still visit Sandwell Valley as often as possible, but even there its less often than I used to. Next time we go to the Valley I will be sure to do a post on the visit it has been a while since I posted about being round there so its due a posting I'm sure. Thanks for reading and there should be another post coming up soon. 

Thanks for reading and good birding all- WB 

No comments:

Post a Comment