21 Jun 2012

Down in the mouth at Elmley.


Disappointing trip to Elmley Yesterday 20-6 uneventful on drive to the farm then on to the Wellmarsh car park first impressions were, after entering the hide were, hundreds of nesting BH Gulls which have obviously taken over the site, other birds were 3 Tufted Duck 4 Avocets, 2 Oystercatchers couple of Mallard and that was it spanning two hours. The islands were completely covered with growth eighteen inches high which has hidden most of the nesting birds making observation almost an impossibility, and, as per other years there are a lack of Barley Straw Bales which combats the algae.

Thoroughly  vexed, I decided to slow drive it to the main road, which, by comparison with the last two hours held real possibilities, first confrontation were a couple of quartering Marsh Harrier followed by a beautifully bright Yellow Wagtail dispatching a Dragonfly, followed by numerous sightings of Reed Bunting, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Lapwing with young and the cherry on the cake was a pair of Avocet and four newly hatched young on the road between Kings Hill Farm and the main road, have never encountered Avocets nesting this area, probably because the Wellmarsh Islands are over occupied, the parents were trying to herd the young off the road which took 15 minutes, that, gave rise to a few pictures being taken.

What we eventually observed  appeased the day. 

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