Pretty long day for us, early morning start from West Notts for the 65 miles slog to the Lincolnshire coast.
First site visited was
Freiston Shore RSPB. The main species here was apparently Brent Goose, and that's precisely what we got, 300-400 in all, and you find the first ones from the car park. Could hardly believe it, you pull into the reserve and about fifteen spaces point you out toward the main lagoon. Across a fence and five to ten yards further on Brents, Black-tailed Godwit, Wigeon, Redshank and Ringed Plover forage food as if oblivious to your arrival.
I managed these with my mid-range 10x digital camera, so goodness knows what some of guys could do there, and you needn't even get out the car.
(
grainy video here)
There is just the one hide on site, pretty spacious it was too, particularly since it was deserted most of our visit, again with memorable views of the Brents. Other birds were in good number, the Godwits, Dunlin, Curlew, Oystercatcher etc, with the odd Knot and solitary Spotted Redshank for interest, nothing exceptional today but room for it I suppose.
There is just the one lagoon though, the rest of the reserve being occupied by expansive salt marsh. In amongst the channels countless Redshank frankly began to annoy with their incessant alarm calls, and the main surprise were the half dozen Little Egret, still on their march north.
The place looks good Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier and Peregrine, I saw none though and neither did any birder I talked to, seemed like a no show day.
At high tide the sea pushes waders to the shoreline that's only within distant view from the reserve, in the region 500+ yards. Couldn't make out the smaller waders at that range, but a thousand Golden Plover were present and I could just identify a drake Red-breasted Merganser in the shallows.
Exceptional high tides probably bring them closer in, still, it'd be a good way across the marsh.
Early afternoon we left for a beach a few miles up the coast where a Sperm Whale had been washed up a couple of days ago, dead or alive we thought we'd like to see such an impressive animal, Great Skua had been reported feeding on the thing and we thought getting to the beach might give chance of late winter Shore Lark or Snow Bunting. So it was quite frustrating to discover the beach is used as a bombing run (presumably without live ammuniton) by the RAF meaning that access can sometimes be restricted in the day - like today - which explained the thundering aerobatics. I suppose the fast jets had something for target practice. We weren't the only car turned away.
Then we headed back south a few more miles to
Frampton Marsh RSPB. Gotta say, it's a bare basics reserve - a small car park, and a single footpath running through rather than around. Again it was massive salt marsh, again we saw Little Egret and Redshank, the best bird here though was Twite, just a pair of them. The evening was beginning to draw in by this time and out over the shore (now about a mile away) enormous flocks of probably Knot arched and weaved in the sky, while untidy waves of Brents headed in the same direction. Very quiet otherwise though, bleak and barren even, not inviting much of a stay.
Finally, it was 20 minutes back to Freiston Shore for the sunset and hopefully those owls and harriers, but it wasn't to be, no better luck.
Can't be disappointed though, such stellar views of Brent Geese are the sort of thing that stay with you. 59 species for the day. Looks well worth a return visit for the spring/summer Avocet.
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