Potteric Carr

A couple of Saturdays ago we spent the day at Potteric Carr, another cold and sunny day. We had lovely close encounter with a Roe Deer as we walked through the Beeston Plantation, we just stopped and looked at each for a few moments and then it was off through the woods.

The woods were full of Tits, Goldcrests and Robins.

The sun brought out a few Darters

There was also lots of fungi out including some beautiful Fly Agaric, the fungus in the bottom photo was the size of a dinner plate!

We saw flocks of birds rising up over Huxter Well Marshes as we walked around them including Greylag Geese, Lapwings, Black-headed Gulls, Swans....

We discovered a Marsh Harrier was no doubt the reason for the panicking birds!

Mute Swans

Black-tailed Godwits

It rained as the sun shone whilst we sat in the hides. 

The cattle graze part of the reserve, they're really curious!

My photo doesn't do it justice but these clouds looked amazing

A drake Pintail was with the Shovelers on the lagoon. I've only seen female Pintails before.

We lingered at the hide a little while as it started to get dark to see the start of the thousands of Starlings gathering in the distance, no photos as they were too distant but we watched through the binoculars as more and more joined and they swirled around the Pylons, some have been roosting on the reserve. It's a breathtaking sight to see so many birds move as one. There's a link here to some footage taken the day before by our local news - Starlings or here  

As it started to get dark we had to leave, it's quite a trek back to the entrance from the marshes but worth it to see the Starlings!

Potteric Carr

On Sunday we spent the day at Potteric Carr, we haven't been since the new year and it was sunny and cold again but this time minus the frost/ice.

After picking up a bacon sandwich (to keep my hands warm obviously) we headed out into the reserve spotting Pheasant, Jackdaw and Goldfinch by the feeder.

In the woods I was the only one who spotted a deer, it popped it's head up in the distance and then leapt over a log and out of sight. A few Squirrels were overhead, Wrens, Goldcrest, Robins in the trees and bushes around.

There were lots of Common Darters around the reserve, mostly sunning themselves. A Red Admiral flew past at one point, it always surprises me to see a butterfly at this time of year.

My husband spotted a few Blue and Great Tits as we walked from the Cottage Drain hide by the railway track then spotted a a couple of other birds - Redwings, the first ones i've seen this Autumn! A few kept flying in with several Blackbirds too, they soon disappeared into the trees though.

Stopping for a bit of lunch by the east scrape - picnics in November! I was watching the scrape from the picnic bench when I caught a flash of colour - a Kingfisher, it landed briefly on a reed and called a couple of times before flying off towards the West Scrape.

From the hides looking out over the West Scrape and Hunter Marsh we saw lots of very noisy Black Headed Gulls, Shelduck, Lapwing, Great Crested Grebes, Wigeon, Heron, Little Egret amongst others.

Walking to the Tofield hide I was photographing the reeds there and heard a burst of song, then again - a Cetti's Warbler! A first for me, very pleased!

We stopped to watch a Kestrel hunting over the field.

Calling into each hide to look down onto the marsh we saw plenty of birds - Wigeon, Lapwing, Shoveler, Gadwall, Cormorant, Pochard....

Heading back to we stopped at the hides by the willow marsh and saw busy feeders and a Teal mostly bottom up in the water!

A few photos from around the reserve.

We didn't stop to see the Starlings gathering this time, a much needed cuppa in the cafe and we were on our way home.

Potteric Carr

We spent some time at Potteric Carr on Monday, it's only the second time i've been and it's changed a little since last time with a lovely new visitors centre/cafe.

It was cold and there was plenty of frost and ice around, the sun was a bit hit and miss but did melt the ice in places during the day. The sun hitting the reeds did look beautiful though.

Walking in the woods around the Beeston Plantation brought us plenty of Long-tailed Tits (which were actually all over the reserve), Redwings, Blue and Great Tits. Plus we spooked a couple of Roe Deer, I always love seeing them, even if the view is of the white tail bobbing as they're running off!

We spotted a snipe on the Willow Marsh and even more LTTs were around the hide.

If you get out a magnifying glass you can just see the snipe on the edge of the island!!

The sun didn't make for good viewing out of the Willow Pool hide, far too bright, but there were Rats, Pheasants, Chaffinch, Tits and Mallards there. I managed a couple of bad photos but the sun glare wasn't great.

Down on the marsh walk and it was a little quiet at first, picking up Shovelers, Little Egret, Gadwall and Goldcrest at Piper Marsh. We spent a while in the Roger Mitchell hide and saw a couple of possible Bearded Tits but frustratingly not enough of a view to say for sure! There was plenty of Gulls, a Water Rail running backwards and forwards between the reeds and a Marsh Harrier flying over the reedbeds in the distance.

In the meadow by the hide a pair of Stonechats were showing beautifully alongside the path.

We watched a group of Shovelers all swimming together in a circle, i've never seen this before, the photo is a little dull as light was fading but you can see them all huddled together.

One of the many Long-tailed Tits we saw, this one shaking a tail feather!

And a Goldfinch in the sun.

There was a lot of fungus on the reserve, these are a few of them

This one was my favourite though i'm not sure what it is?

As we headed back to the visitor centre we realised we'd seen almost 50 species and I commented it would be great to see an owl now to finish off the day. A lady by the centre said we'd just missed a Short Eared Owl (a bird i've never seen)! Typical!

We ended up staying and watching the Starling murmuration after using the facilities, lucky we did as the Owl made another appearance - day made!

You can just see the owl here above the flock