Bluethroat, 1w male, Willow Tree Fen, Lincs.
Howling wind, horizontal sleet, no coffee! Just some of the things that I had to fight off this morning before heading to the Lincolnshire Fens between Spalding & Crowland. Land so flat and, dare I say, boring that I started counting mole hills on the way there just for some light relief.
The birdlife, however, was far from boring. At Willow Tree Fen the damp but dapper, first winter, male, Bluethroat put on a hell of a show, coming within a few feet of the birders braving the rain and freezing temperatures. It mostly fed by the main path and always came back if flushed.
Bluethroat, 1w male, Willow Tree Fen, Lincs.
After getting my fill of Bluethroat I travelled to Deeping High Bank alongside the River Welland catching sight of the local Great White Egret there. I parked at the bridge by Four Bar Bank and crossed the Welland. On the river to the North was the long staying Long-tailed Duck while three Scaup and a drake Goosander were to the South.
The main bird to be seen though, was the Great Grey Shrike. Often reported as distant or elusive, todays rain must have taken the fight out of it because it gave itself up easily and came quite close.
Great Grey Shrike, Deeping High Bank, Lincs.
Goosander, drake, R. Welland, Lincs.
My last stop of the day was at Eldernell on the Nene Washes. It was damp, very misty and there were few things to see except two Common Cranes, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk and Bewick's Swans.
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