L.O.S. Winter Trip To Lincolnshire and Norfolk - February 2024

Here's a compilation video slideshow of some of my better photographs from a recent birding trip to Lincolnshire and Norfolk with the Leigh Ornithological Society:

Putting Things Right

If you read my last post you could probably tell I was bit upset with the shots I got from my previous visit to Far Ings primarily due to the heat haze and sun direction.  So today I decided to try to put things right.  I got up at 4am and had left by 5am to go straight to the Reedy Hide at Far Ings and try to beat the haze with a few early rising Marsh Harrier shots.

 

 

Second Owl-fest in Two Days!

With the prospect of good weather today I set off on the M62 over the Pennines and into Lincolnshire to an undisclosed location for Short-eared Owls. The clear blue skies and sunshine which were forecast never really arrived where I was, and for a while I thought the birds weren't going to either. But eventually I managed to get a few record shots. I hope to return soon on a sunny day.

The Amazing Donna Nook

No, it's not that girl I went to school with - it's a place on the east coast of Lincolnshire and I can't believe that I've only just discovered it!

Atlantic Grey Seal Colony at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire

Bluethroat at Willow Tree Fen in Lincolnshire

My visit to Willow Tree Fen in Lincolnshire was actually part of the journey down to 'Norfolk and Environs' where I was taking part in the Leigh Ornithological Society's 2017 Annual Winter Trip. However, this adult 1st winter male Bluethroat was such as special bird that it just had to have a post all to itself!

I'd first got wind of the bird a weeks or so ago and, after investigating its location, I decided I could try to see it on my way down to RSPB Frampton Marshes, the first stopping point for our L.O.S. trip.  I didn't know if anyone else in the party would want to see it, but as soon as I mentioned it there was a lot of interest.

Armed with a map and an excellent location description kindly supplied to me by Craig Storton who I contacted through Facebook, we found the location with little difficulty and, as we parked on the road near the bridge leading to Willow Tree Fen, we could see a group of people staring into the reeds along the path up from the bridge, just as Craig had said. After a wait of barely ten minutes or so, out popped the Bluethroat to feed on some mealworms which someone had previously put down for him and we had cracking views for around three to four minutes.

The bird is about the same size as a Robin, with longer legs and a slightly more upright posture. Indeed, like the Robin, it used to be classified as a Thrush, but now is thought to be more akin to the Old World Flycatchers or Chats. Like many birds they are insectivorous, but eat berries in the winter.

This is possibly one of the 'white-spotted' race rather than the commoner 'red-spotted' race although there is still some debate. Bluethroats are usually found on the east coast on passage in spring and autumn. However, there have apparently been records of them at Martin Mere WWT and Marshside RSPB in the past.

The Bluethroat normally winters in North Africa or the Indian subcontinent, but this one has presumably overwintered here in the UK as it's rather early to be seeing one here.

To finish off here's a very short video of the Bluethroat's behaviour on the path where it was it feeding. The crowd were ecstatic as it flew back into the reeds - listen to what I say at the very end of the video :)

The End