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RSPB Frampton Marsh (3 Viewers)

Not much to add to the above!

The Hobby returned briefly as the sun began to set, swooping low over the scrapes a couple of times before heading south over grassland. A Bar-tailed Godwit was amidst the throng of Blackwits, as were getting up to eighty or so Knot.

A quick amble up the hedgerow on arrival produced a Chiffchaff, a Long-tailed Tit, two Wren, several Goldfinch, a couple of Great Tit and a Blackbird.
 
Tomorrow morning's peak tide should be fabulous, judging by the amount of waders in this evening.

Comfortably the highest count of Black-tailed Godwit that I have had this Autumn. Easily 4000+ carpeting the South Scrape. At least three Bar-tailed Godwit amongst them along with loads of Dunlin, Knot and Ruff jostling amidst the pack. Also, picked up a couple of Little Stint, half a dozen Snipe, a pair of Greenshank and, although I failed to find any Curlew Sandpiper, I was rewarded with a very handsome Turnstone.

Despite making two appearances yesterday evening, the Hobby was not present tonight... Although this was made up for by not one, but two Barn Owls. The first hunting along the crossbank, the second sat on a post near the dipping pond as I left.
 
As expected, a fair few birds about this weekend. Black-wit numbers got over 5000, 180+ knot, 7 curlew sands, 3+ little stint, spotted redshank...

There were reports of a Temminck's stint on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. A juvenile pectoral sandpiper was seen sunday afternoon.

Whinchats and wheatears continued to show.

Merlin, peregrine, buzzard and marsh harrier were all present, and a little owl showed very well (though distantly) both days.

For those of you liking insects, there was a clouded yellow butterfly or two. And migrant hawker dragonflies

And on Saturday, a harbour porpoise was seen in the Witham mouth
 
Ian Ellis and I managed to get better views of the Grebe on Tuesday evening from the far side of the reedbed.

The light was fading pretty fast but we were pretty convinced that it was an immature Black-necked Grebe. The upturned bill was much more pronounced in the field than it has looked on some of the photographs, as was the smoky black mask (rather than distinct cap) smudging into a buffy coloration behind the ears.
 
Decided to have a wee traipse up the riverbank this evening. Not much to report.

A Kingfisher was the highlight as I cut through the reserve, as well as a Snipe, a handful of Dunlin, a Ringed Plover and small numbers of the usual Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff.

A flock of c90 Brent were feeding together on the saltmarsh close to the bank and a Marsh Harrier was hunting further out. Picked up a dozen or so Curlew along the way, similar numbers of Little Egret, as well as a pair of Grey Plover flying low over the river towards the mouth of the Wash.

A Chiffchaff was present in one of the bushes, as were a pair of Great Tit, a couple of Blackbird and a Wren.
 
A good weekend at the reserve started off on Friday when Jim, our volunteer trainee warden, put up a jack snipe whilst topping the wet grassland. Not so much for the species, but what it represented. Our 28th wader for the month, beating all previous records.

This was then pushed beyond a shadow of a doubt when Brian Stone picked up a buff-breasted sandpiper with some ruff. The bird is mostly on the wet grassland opposite the visitor centre, best viewed from the path down towards the barn. Park at the VC, walk back up the road 100m until you get to the gate on the left. Follow the path along/through the hedgerow until you are walking towards the barn. The bird has been either on the left, on the grassland between you and the visitor centre. or else on the right, on the banks of the reservoir.

Plenty of other good stuff about. Curlew sandpiper, little stint and spotted redshank all continue to show from the 360. Whinchats and wheatears popped up too. Wigeon and brent goose numbers continue to rise, now well into the hundreds.
 
So, we've had a reserve first today.... A Buff-breasted Sandpiper!

Originally picked up briefly by a visitor on the scrapes, it was eventually re-found later in the afternoon amidst a highly mobile flock of c15 Ruff dropping onto the edge of the reservoir. The group continued to swirl around the wet grassland - with the little Sandpiper easy to pick out amidst them -and giving some fantastic views when they dropped down within scoping distance. Such a treat! What a fabulous, sweet wee bird!

To add to the scene, a pair of Gannet drifted over the grassland as we stood watching the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and, earlier, a flock of c35 Pink-footed Geese dropped onto the grassland behind the south scrape. Still a couple of Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper around as well.

Edit. Sorry Chris - Bit of a cross post there!
 
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The Buff-breasted Sandpiper was still on the reserve this evening - still moving about with the highly mobile flock of Ruff. The group briefly dropped onto the south scrape shortly after 18:00, staying no more than four or five minutes before heading back out over the grassland.

We stayed in pretty much the same spot until around 19:00 but didn't pick them up again after that sighting.

Other highlights this evening were a striking male Sparrowhawk sat out on a scrape and a Kingfisher flitting across the access road and into the drain that runs between it and the grassland.
 
BirderChris said:
And for those that like furry critters, the first reserve record of harvest mouse
Click to expand...

That's great news Chris. We've had quite a few firsts for the reserve this year, I think. It would be interesting to see them all listed at the end of 2013!

Our first White-fronted Goose of the autumn was still on the grassland this evening; associating with a small flock of Greylag.

A few hundred Black-tailed Godwit were on the scrapes, as were four Curlew Sandpiper, two Little Stint, about ten Dunlin, four Snipe and up to fifty Ruff. Had a possible sighting of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper amongst a flock of Ruff that dropped onto the scrape around 18:20 and then lifted off it again before scopes could be set. From previous sightings, it certainly possessed the right jizz in flight as it shuffled amidst the flock - but it was already too dark to pick out the diagnostic cresent to clinch it.

I had only one Avocet but there were seven present before I arrived, as well as four Spotted Redshank and a female Sparrowhawk (as per Ian Ellis).

Wigeon numbers seem to be multiplying exponentially with every passing day!
 
Good day at Frampton Marsh today,I was pleased to come away with shots of two Sandpipers, Buff Breasted and Curlew.
 

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Another Buff-Breasted Sandpiper pic from yesterday. Also, I've included a couple of flight shots, one of a Ruff, the other the BBS, to show the difference between the two, showing, on the Ruff, white on the tail and a more obvious wing-bar. As you can see, the photos are not to good, I was a bit slow!;)

Many thanks by the way to the very helpful RSPB warden (sorry, I forgot your name) who pointed out these differences to me otherwise I would not have had a clue!
 

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Great pics Claudy, can I use them in the blog please? Might do a quick id guide (Ruff v BBS) as well using your last pic of the bird sitting down for the VC and do a blog on it too. Glad you caught up with it.

While not seen yesterday during the day, Ian Ellis, one of a ridiculously small number of regulars, had the BBS yesterday evening as well as this Pec Sand. Who knows what goes missing here due it being so underwatched?
 

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Cheers Boy Wonder, use what you like, either taken from the forum or I can email them to you, let me know if the latter would be preferable.

P.S. Fantastic reserve by the way.:t:
 
Beautiful still evening on the reserve. The calm before the storm if the weather reports are to be believed!

Highlight tonight was the Pectoral Sandpiper. Found it skulking along the corner of south scrape. Gave good views for about fifteen minutes before disappearing behind some reeds. It re-emerged briefly after an altercation with a Moorhen and then sloped back into cover again.

Also on the scrapes were three Curlew Sandpiper, eight Avocet, a pair of Golden Plover along with the usual scatterings of Snipe, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff. Picked up around half a dozen Curlew on the wet grassland as well as a surprising Green Sandpiper along the ditch by the road.

Approximately 250 Dark-bellied Brent dropped onto the scrapes around sunset as well, although there were far more out on the saltmarsh as flocks could be seen rising like plumes of smoke over the sea-bank.

Whilst I remember, also had a Kingfisher, Barn Owl and c20 Pink-footed Goose flying over yesterday (Monday) evening.
 
Filthy night brightened by the Pectoral Sandpiper feeding at the back of South Scrape. Presumed it had disappeared on the wind after not finding it yesterday, so that has pretty much made my night!

Not much else to report. A handful of Black-tailed Godwit, seventeen Ruff and a Snipe were the only additions on the wader front. A small flock of thirty or so Dark-bellied Brent dropped in briefly, but the biggest spectacle came when what seemed like every Wigeon on the reserve went up simultaneously after a loud burst of gunfire from the saltmarsh.
 

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