Old Hall Marshes (4/2/12)

We left at around 8 o'clock to get to Old Hall Marshes. Me and my brother had researched the evening before and found out that there was a long staying Great Grey Shrike near by so we planned our car route to go past it which was a small diversion of about a mile or two. We arrived at the hedge row and began looking. We watched for a while from one side and then I decided to go to the other side of the hedge row which had first looked as if it was blocked off but then I went round and found it was quite open. I told my brother to come round to my side as well because the habitat looked better on my side. He came round my side with his scope and began looking. While I went to the car to get some of my equipment my brother found the shrike and called me. I went and had a look through the scope and saw it. I immediately recognised it with its black eye strip, grey back and the rest of its main features. After to get better pictures but not to scare it I went round a back field which viewed over the field which the Great Grey Shrike was in. I got some photos but due to coldness issues  my battery was going low (as usual) which ruined the performance of it. After having a good look at it we decided to carry on.

There was also a robin which acted as if it wanted to be photographed

 My Mum and Dad dropped me and my brother off at Old Hall Marshes. We walked straight onto the reserve and saw the huge flock of Brent Geese of about 800+ we quickly scanned through it and found the Red-breasted Goose. I took a few photos and then my camera decided to completely stop.

TRY AND FIND THE RED-BREASTED GOOSE

if you want a challenge try this one

We carried on along the marsh not seeing much but Dunlins, Grey Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits and Bar-tailed Godwits. Later when we got to the lakes more things began to appear like Goldeneye, Marsh Harriers Redshanks and lots of wigeon and other ducks. We carried along on the path with many pipits, larks and buntings surprising us but unfortunately nothing special mainly Reed Bunting, Skylarks and Rock Pipits. At one point we found a group of Shelducks with 11 Avocets with them. When we got to the sea watching point we set up the scope and scanned for a while. After about an hour or three quaters of an hour we had seen several unIDable birds and a prob. Slavonion Grebe. As we carried on more stuff poped up and surprised us like a male summer plumaged Eider , 4 Red-breasted Merganser and a flock of 4 Pintails fly over. We stopped off at a sight of about 50+ Shelducks and decided to look around I suddenly found a group of Avocets and we began counting them we ended up with c.100 Avocets. We carried onto the Bearded Tit watch point and it was coming up for dusk which is prime time for them. We waited for a while at the point and then three flew across. Because they were a tick for me I wanted to have a better look at one so we decided to stay to have a good look. Me and my brother split up and decided to warn each other if we saw one. After a while I found 2 amazing male Bearded Tits sitting on two reeds. I waved to my brother and he got his stuff and ran over to me. By the time he had got to me they had already dived into the undergrowth. We waited for a little longer and managed to see another 4 Bearded Tits before we left.