Saturday 20 October 2012

Grine From 'Ere to 'Ere

Not been out locally for two weeks, last week's St Mary's warbler 'twitch' being the only optic-fest in a fortnight.

So for a couple of hours around noon, a wee trip-ette to local beauty spots, first one being Arcot.  Very busy it was too, with 20 or so pairs of Gadwall (never seen so many) and 60 Wigeon.  Three Cormorants was another 'record', along with the usual Coots, Moorhens and Little Grebe to accompany a Mute Swan pair and hods of Teal.

Next stop, the sodden and barren wasteland that is West Hartford, with not a bird on the water and only a Mipit and a Jay heard as the larger flash was approached.

En route back to the car, a quick look-in on the three small flashes to the east of the sub-station.  At one time the 'home' of a wader or two, today it was Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard.

So a quick scan of the pylons running east towards East Hartford and a female Kestrel was atop the third (200 metres away), watching the fields below for a spot of luncheon.  Off she flew south and low and I lost sight of her.

But no, she had returned by an unknown route and was sitting on the horizontal part of the same pylon, half way up.

Or had she..........