Frampton Marsh RSPB 10th May 2019
We drove from Thornham up around the wash and headed for RSPB Frampton MArsh. We had never been to this reserve before so we were very curious – especially since we had had such glowing reports of from a couple of birders we met once at Rutland Water. It looked very ominous all morning as it slashed with rain. Amazingly just as we neared the reserve, the rain stopped and the sun came out and it turned into aglorious afternoon and we had some glorious birding as well, starting with a year tick as soon as we entered the reception hide.
One of the chaps there immediately pointed out to us a pair of Black Terns flying over the water. That was some start!. We had a long chat figuring out what we should be doing first and we settled on a walk down the tree lined lane just behind the car park. This is actually part of the Grassland Trail.
Walking down here we could hear Turtle Doves calling pretty much all of the time but there was no real way of knowing how many there were. It always seemed as if you were very close to the and, indeed, they may just have been on the other side of the tree you were standing in front of.
On the pools to the left we found a sleeping drake Garganey and an amazing collection of Ruffs all looking very fancy but totally different to each other. Other waders included Redshank and Avocets
We went nearly to the end of the path before deciding to turn back. We stopped many times to try to get a view of the Turtle Doves we could hear so often and eventually our patience was rewarded as we got a quick view of one purring from a branch overhanging the damp field. A quick look, though, and it was gone.
We returned to the visitor centre and picked up our sandwiches and then headed off on the Reedbed trail. This took us up one end of the pool and then we turned left towards the 360 hide which gives views in three directions at least. From here we got a Dunlin and a Ringed Plover and on the water there was the usual variety of ducks. As we sat there the three Black Terns returned and decided to rest right in front of us giving us really good views. Occasionally they would fly off but soon returned.
We continued on to the Reedbed Hide but instead of going down to the East Hide we just returned along the track on the other side of the water where we had heard that Cuckoo’s might be seen. We certainly heard a couple of them but no matter how close we looked we could not see them. We spoke to people who had, though, so I suppose you just need a bit of luck.
As we walked back round, there were increasing numbers of Swifts adding to the House and Sand Martins and Swallows that were skimming over the water making a really nice spectacle. As the afternoon wore on the Swifts came lower and lower until, by the time we got back to the reception hide, they were just above head height.
We returned to the car park for one last scan across the trees that line the Grassland trail and Anne quickly found another Turtle Dove perched in a tree. It was hard to pull ourselves away but we had to. The afternoon was getting on and we had to find our hotel for the night.
In total we had forty-five species including the year tick Black Terns and we could add another new reserve to our list of great places to visit.
We headed off to Newark where we were to be staying at the Millgate House Hotel and as we did so the rain returned with a vengeance. This combined with the difficulty of finding the main entrance to the hotel and the one-way system meant that by the time we got to the hotel we were desperate for a drink.
It was so wet we could not entertain the idea of going out looking for somewhere to eat so we ate in the hotel. The hotel itself was fine but the food was pretty average.
Anyway, tomorrow it is back to normal and the end of a holiday that saw us tick 123 species of birds. For more on all this see the full summary of the holiday here.
Bird Sightings Frampton Marsh RSPB 10th May 2019
| Greylag Goose | 6 |
| Canada Goose | 4 |
| Mute Swan | 6 |
| Common Shelduck | 10 |
| Gadwall | 6 |
| Eurasian Wigeon | 8 |
| Mallard | 10 |
| Northern Shoveler | 8 |
| Garganey | 1 |
| Common Teal | 6 |
| Common Pochard | 6 |
| Tufted Duck | 10 |
| Little Grebe | 1 |
| Little Egret | 1 |
| Common Moorhen | 4 |
| Common Coot | 6 |
| Pied Avocet | 30 |
| Northern Lapwing | 8 |
| Common Ringed Plover | 1 |
| Common Redshank | 3 |
| Ruff | 5 |
| Dunlin | 1 |
| Black Tern | 3 |
| Common Wood Pigeon | 4 |
| European Turtle Dove | 2 |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | 2 |
| Common Cuckoo | 2 |
| Common Swift | 30 |
| Eurasian Magpie | 1 |
| Sky Lark | 4 |
| Sand Martin | 20 |
| Barn Swallow | 8 |
| Common House Martin | 8 |
| Great Tit | 1 |
| Eurasian Blue Tit | 1 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 1 |
| Sedge Warbler | 4 |
| Eurasian Reed Warbler | 2 |
| Blackcap | 1 |
| Eurasian Blackbird | 2 |
| Common Starling | 10 |
| Pied Wagtail | 1 |
| Common Chaffinch | 1 |
| European Goldfinch | 8 |
| House Sparrow | 6 |