** Oare Marsh. **

It has been ages since I have blogged, it's about time I got back into the swing of things, so I will start with my visit today to Oare Marsh KWT reserve. Pam and I arrived there early afternoon, I couldn't have picked a better day, hot, blue skies no wind. I didn't know what was about, I had read on and off the a immature Spoonbill had been there so that would have been a great bird to see. I was hoping to park down the road in the lay by but it was full up, and not all of the cars was blue badge holders. We waited a while just in case some one left, but it wasn't to be so we parked up the road and I took a very slow walk up to the hide. On the was up the road we stopped and from the car I scanned the scrape and I did see the spoonbill but it was a long way away. Once in the hide with my scope all set up I started looking around for the spoonbill but it wasn't visible from where I was, typical, but all was bot lost, as it happens I came out on top because as much as, like all birders hate it when a low plane comes over and puts all the birds up, well this time it went my way, 2 R.A.F.jet fighters flew over the reserve putting everything up and as it happens they all landed on the mud out in front of the hide....brilliant. There it was this immature SPOONBILL right in front of me, the light was that good I was able to scope it right up to 70x magnification. I then found it quite amusing afterwards because not long after it had dropped in some of the people from down the road made a B-line for the hide to get some pictures, but they didn't stay long. Then it was just how I like it me and 1 or 2 others, now I could settle back and make my list, which is as follows, which includes a GREENSHANK which was looking so white among the other waders I had no trouble picking out, I even gave a new birder a good look at it through the scope along with the spoonbill. The time period I was there was 2 hours: KESTREL(2), COMMON BUZZARD(4), MARSH HARRIER((2F), G/B/B/GULL, HERRING GULL, B/H/GULL, SPOONBILL, GREY HERON, LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, SNIPE, DUNLIN, LAPWING, GOLDEN PLOVER, RUFF, REDSHANK, GREENSHANK, BLACK TAILED GODWIT, MALLARD, TEAL, WIGEON, GADWALL, SHOVELLER, C/CROW.STARLING, PIED WAGTAIL


My Bird of the Day is the ** GREENSHANK. **I know a lot of people might be surprised but to me in today's light it was much the more beautiful bird.