On the morning of the 28th August 2025, a juvenile Spoonbill spent most of the day on the pool in front of the Feast hide at the Grove Ferry end of the Stodmarsh reserve. This species is becoming more of a frequent visitor to the reserve now and always great to see. Just a pity that the reed and sedge along the dyke in front of the hide was not cut when they cut the grass, we would have been able to see it properly instead of waiting for a gust of wind to blow the reeds aside to grab a glimpse.
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10 September 2025
A juvenile Spoonbill at Grove Ferry.
15 July 2025
It was worth a look.
As always at this time of the year, the enthusiasm to get out with the camera wanes, especially when it's hot, and also after spending a week in Catalonia with a host of wildlife, some of it just a few metres from my camera lens, it leaves trips out to the likes of Stodmarsh a little underwhelming. Anyway, I decided to take a look down at Grove Ferry end of the Stodmarsh reserve, just taking in the Feast hide for an hour. I was the only one in there, which mean't that there was an obvious lack of Kingfisher activity (it would have been packed otherwise) although the perches are at this moment in time, completely hidden by the growing reeds. There is now a nice bit of mud showing (the old Island) as a result in the dropping water levels which mean't that there was somewhere for returning waders to feed. Sure enough, I counted 11 Green Sandpiper's and a patch year tick in the shape of a Little Ringed Plover. Hopefully the coming weeks will attract a few more waders and even maybe a passing rarity. Getting images proved a little difficult with the distance and having to wait until the wind blew the reeds to either side and catching the Plover with it's head up at the same time but a couple of record images were obtained.
Little Ringed Plover
10 July 2025
Thirteen and still looking good.
For the thirteenth year running, the Bonaparte's Gull has returned to Oare marshes to spend the summer months and still looking as good as ever. Looking closely, the summer moult has just about started and it will not be long until the handsome black hood will have disappeared, before the Gull moves on to winter in unknown parts. I spent Wednesday afternoon (9th July) at Oare to see the bird before it loses it's summer attire.
29 June 2025
A trip to Catalonia. (Part 2)
After leaving Tremp and being returned to our hotel, we had a couple of hours to kill before our late afternoon stint in the Bee Eater hides, a few miles away in Montgai. I suggested a walk along a small side road behind our hotel as I had a quick stroll along there after awaking early that morning and hearing a singing Quail and saw several Crested Lark's, Serins and a Tree Sparrow. We spent about an hour walking along the winding country road, racking up an impressive species list including Zitting Cisticola, Golden Oriole, a Woodchat Shrike, a few Bee-Eater's, several Crested Lark's, a Thekla Lark, (seeing Crested and Thekla together helped with i.d) and Steve got us on to a Short-toed Snake Eagle drifting high overhead. The Thekla was a lifer for me. We were almost reluctant to return to our hotel but did as we had to meet our guide in Montgai at 5.00 pm.
The Bee-Eater's did not disappoint for Tim and I but Steve fared a little less better in another hide situated 3 to 400 metres behind us, on account that these hides were only big enough for two people. Steve did get to see a couple of Rollers which we were hoping for, but missed.
15 June 2025
A trip to Catalonia. (Part 1)
A trip to Catalonia in the North East of Spain was undertaken by Steve Ray, Tim Gutsell and myself, where we had a week under the guidance of a company called Photo logistics who organised our hotels and photography hides. We left Gatwick on Monday 19th May, an early morning flight into Barcelona where we picked up a hire car and drove North West for about 180 kilometres to a small city called Solsona in the foothills of the Pyrenees.