A juvenile Spoonbill at Grove Ferry.

 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.

The view from the Feast hide at Grove Ferry after the grass in front has been cut. It's like opening the blinds but leaving the curtains drawn. A shame really as this hide has produced some good birds in the past, Spotted Crake comes to mind but would be really difficult to see if one was skulking in the back reed bed line.