We have not been out for a couple of weeks due to bad weather but were determined to visit Elmley on Saturday come what may. The day was another wet and dreary one but the rains have certainly helped the Kent marshland, it is staring to get nicely waters soaked again and the birds are slowly returning
We drove slowly through the marshland following the roadway up to the RSPB office. It was nice to see a few Redshanks back at the marshland, feeding along the waters edge and strutting along on their longlegs
And there are more Lapwings apparent today as well. A few years back, the marshland was covered with Lapwings but the drought caused most of them to move on or face starvation until only a few groups remained. Now that the Marshland is recovering, the groups are getting larger so it is so nice to see these friendly little birds recouping again.
Whilst we were stopped, a little Shoveler warily walked past us, watching our every move out of the corner of his eye. However, we did not pose a threat to him so he settled down at the waters edge for a well deserved sleep.
A bit further along is a gateway in the fence. Sitting on the gatepost was a female Kestrel enjoying her morning breakfast. We kept back out of the way so as not to disturb her meal.
And in return, once finished, she allowed us to get a lot closer and happily posed for us, taking great pleasure in showing off her sleek feathers. You must admit, she is certainly a beautiful bird
We stopped at the house and walked along the bushes and hedgerows to see what we could find. Our old friend the Robin hopped over to say hello, but today was a little camera shy and only let us take his picture whilst looking coyly back over his shoulder
There were Sparrows by the dozen here today. Chirruping away to each other and playing in the branches. They moved so fast that we could not take any shots at all, until one took pity on us and posed briefly, before flitting off to join his friends on another high speed chasing game.
It was time to go home, so we drove slowly back out of the reserve, just before we left we had a quick look along the exit boundaries and were fortunate to find a little female Stonechat who sang us a delightful solo to round off our visit.
We hope that you enjoyed our trip out today. More pictures can be found in our galleries at www.voinapics.co.uk
Steve & Mick
2 comments:
Steve, Mick,
Vey good to see these photos, especially the excellent two shots of the kestrel - I'd certainly have flushed her and spoiled the show, if it hadn't been for the lift with you.
I missed the stonechat, but managed one great sighting, from the hide at the far end of the reserve: a male hen harrier, coming close and staying in sight for a good ten minutes over the reedbeds. Well worth the walk along miles of boggy paths.
Meanwhile I'll keep an eye on the blog - good luck in your future travels,
Best regards,
Simon B
Steve and Mick, just had a read and enjoyed your tale. Love your pics, especially the Kestrel and Stoney, that made my day. Good Luck fellas, and Thanks, Mali Halls from Hastings.
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