A wander around Blean woods last week did not produce a huge list, however I loved hearing the Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits around us.
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| Butcher's Broom |
Treecreeper made a short visit and there were Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker too. The Lesser spotted eluded us on this occasion. Crunching through ice and then slipping in muddy pools made the going interesting to say the least, but it was a great walk.
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| Butcher's Broom Bush |
A large Butchers Broom bush was good to see - Blean is the only place I have seen this I think. You can just imagine the butchers sweeping up with the slightly prickly leaves and the fresh aroma when you brush them.
After lunch a wander along the sea wall at Seasalter warmed us up. The tide was at its lowest point so any birds were a long way out. Groups of men were digging lugworm and large groups of Knot (amounting to around 900) were feeding near to them, totally at ease with the steady movements of these regular digging teams. Curlew and Lapwing were on the fields, and Marsh Harrier quartered low over them, causing a disturbance.
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| Dunlin |
Highlight of the day for me were a group of Short-eared Owls, with two flying past at one stage then a further individual which was being mobbed by a crow. Oystercatchers and Dunlin continued to feed on the mud, with a few Shelduck and several Grey Plover.
On the scrubby edge to the fields at the bottom of the seawall, Reed Bunting, Stonechat and Wren were calling.
Hearing my first 2016 Skylark sing above was great. Lapwing were settling down on the fields as we returned to the car, and a large group of Starling were hinting at a murmuration, but we lost them eventually. Magpie, Blackbird and House Sparrow completed the day.
