Marsh Harrier

Pectoral sandpiper still in south west corner this afternoon.  Spotted crake showing well after lunch, though distant and excellent views of marsh harrier mid afternoon.  Here are a few photos taken in bad light, in the rain and from a distance.  Should be getting used to it by now!  The marsh harrier, taken from the tower hide was in front of Colyford common and the spotted crake across the river to the left from tower hide (another very poor photo).

Pectoral sandpiper, spotted crake and more from Black Hole Marsh

Dreadful photo taken this afternoon in misty drizzly conditions from a very long distance from tower hide!

Spotted crake with curlew

Nice to see something different on BHM this afternoon

Pectoral sandpiper 

Yesterday, a beautiful day gave me a chance to take some photos on BHM in the sun for a change

Oyster catcher

Cormorant

This was a bit different for a change

Stonechat

Greater spotted woodpecker

Little egret

  

Kestrel

Squabbling Little egrets

Redshank

Sorry Tim - a little stint

Not much going on at Black hole marsh this week apart from lots of water.  However the little stint and green sandpiper showed nice and close to the hide entrance on monday 

 

This was my best view of the marsh harrier - pretty poor photo too!

Early morning and 3 magpies seem to take a disliking to this rook for over 10 minutes before giving up and eventually moving on

The last few days

A few recent pictures from the Axe estuary wetlands.

Buzzard



A very close wheatear

The next 2 were rather distant I'm afraid

A yellow and grey wagtail

Spotted woodpecker

 I just love little grebes and here is 1 of 4 that were present on Black hole marsh this week

There have been plenty of snipe giving good views of late

 

And this beautiful sedge was 1 of 2 very close to the island hide earlier this week

 

A poor photo of a hobby passing through

 

And finally 2 photos of some of my favourite birds

Little grebes

Dunlin

The last few days on the Axe Estuary Wetlands

Predictably the little stint has still dominated.  Here it is pouncing on flies! 

A trip to the Borrow Pit produced only these migrant hawkers

Back to Black hole marsh and could not resist this ring plover asking for its photo to be taken

And yet again the little stint

This lapwing took quite a dislike to this redshank

And look who just managed to get into the middle of this one

Little stint, dunlin and ring plovers

A quick fly past of dunlin

Glad to see some little grebes back here this week

A superb ring plover

A black tailed godwit a bit closer to the island hide than usual

A poor picture of a snipe into the sun this morning

Finally there was a feeding frenzy of hundreds of back headed gulls plus 22 litte egrets over the back of black hole marsh this morning all catching plenty of small fish