March 28th Strumpshaw Fen

Daffodils

The rain has returned to Strumpshaw on Wednesday. I managed a short uneventful walk to the river before the rain began to make any impact. But it wasn't until I got back to Reception Hide to start my shift that things really started to look miserable. Though it wasn't chucking it down hard or anything, it was still relentless and continued to rain well into the afternoon.

Blossom

Coot on nest

With the rain covering the landscape like a vast curtain of raindrops as far as the eye can see, it was clear that it was going to be another one of those days where not a lot is going to happen. It was a day only fit for ducks and geese, though, even they didn't seem overly excited about it. And while the greylags and Canada geese did occasionally have the odd spat amongst one another, the mood was still on the sleepy side. It was really up to the territorial coots to stir things up as they were constantly chasing off the ducks and moorhens away from their nest sites.

Greylag

Shoveler

Male Teal

Female Teal

Pochards

Tufted Duck

White Greylag with a normal Greylag and Tufted Duck

Moorhen

Woodpigeon

Chiffchaff

Other than wildfowl, I was pretty much entertained with a game of 'Where's the warbler?' In the reed beds on either side of the Reception Hide, Cetti's warblers and chiffchaffs were giving me quick glimpses as they busily flit around the reed stems. Every so often, they produce a call, giving me a rough idea of their location. They then gave their positions away through movement, but they were playing hard to get when it came to trying to photograph them. They were just moving about so quickly and the reeds also obscured them, making things even harder. However, it was still a fun game that really helped pass the time. Also seen this morning were marsh harriers and buzzards that looked as if they wanted the rain to stop as soon as possible, while a kingfisher made one brief appearance and seemed unfazed by all this wet weather.



Marsh Harrier

Buzzard

Carrion Crow

Kingfisher