A 4am call this morning from Brian, saw us heading north into Lincolnshire and a visit to Frampton Marsh. We briefly toyed with the idea of heading further north to Blacktoft Sands and the possibility of connecting with the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper but decided against it.
Having enjoyed an incredible day in Wales on the 23rd, managing to see two American warblers, today we were hoping to connect with two American waders.
We arrived around 7am and immediately saw eleven Whooper Swans from the visitor centre decking. They would soon fly southwest to feed in the adjoining fields. We walked to Reedbed Hide and found over twenty Curlew Sandpipers, several Little Stint, and a single Green Sandpiper. A Kingfisher flew straight past the hide and landed on a post nearby. Another scan and we finally found the Lesser Yellowlegs feeding along a distant sandy island.
We walked back towards the reserve centre hoping to get closer views of the Lesser Yellowlegs and while doing so we managed to find the White-rumped Sandpiper. At first, it was distant but when the wader flock was flushed by a hunting Peregrine it settled back down right in front of us.
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| Sunrise |
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| Little Stint |
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| Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Lesser Yellowlegs |
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| Lesser Yellowlegs |
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| White-rumped Sandpiper |
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| White-rumped Sandpiper |
A few people have told me that this is the RSPBs best reserve. Some others have told me that if I don't get 110 species in a day then I'm doing something wrong. That said I'm a little sceptical as the most I've had in a day is around 80.
ReplyDeleteIll be happy with 70+
Cheers.
Phillip Dews
Hi Phillip, It would very often depend on the time of year you visit. Visiting reserves like Frampton, Minsmere and Titchwell in May you could expect to see 100+ species in a day.
ReplyDeleteWow, well I paid a visit last Monday and I got 93 species that day.
DeleteIt was my very first visit and got 15 new lifers that day. The 200miles and four hours of driving was well worth it.
Had to write up a blog post on the visit.
May see you there one day.
Phillip
It's certainly one of the top reserves in the country. Congratulations on your day total and the new additions to your life list.
Delete