JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
February 28th
A very different day dawned on Thursday. Cool and misty, even when the sun burned the mist off it remained hazy, a chill in the air enhanced by a stiff breeze. Time to layer up. I decided to put off looking for Rough-legged Buzzard until later in the day, raptors can be late risers, and I fancied trying for something with a better chance of success first, get something out of the day early before settling in for a long, potentially fruitless wait. So Eldernell on the Nene Washes was first port of call. Over a score of Roe deer were out on the washes, nine the biggest single group, which burst into a run at one point, spooked by something I guess, but I couldn’t divine what. A little further on we spied a trio of Common Cranes in the middle distance. Easy peasy, job done.
On then to Thorney Toll, where under a grey ceiling of cloud we scanned the area for large raptors, but with no success. The site description on RBA didn’t really tally with what we were seeing on the ground, leading to doubts as to whether we were even in the right place. The still relatively low sun and blustery wind hampered viewing conditions and further diminished my optimism and enthusiasm, so after about an hour I decided to decamp, resolving to return either here or Holme Fen for another go later in the day.
Frampton was our next destination, and it proved to be a truly fabulous place. Huge numbers of Brent Geese & Wigeon, plenty of other wildfowl, good scattering of waders, Dunlins & Ringed Plovers covering some of the short turf areas of the marsh, Ruff stalking amongst them, great flocks of Golden Plover, getting up and wheeling and whooshing round from time to time, a couple of Spotted Redshank augmenting the ranks of their less elegant Common cousins. The boys had their first ever views of dancing Great Crested Grebes (they were duly impressed), but they missed the boxing Hares I saw on a scope-scan of the distant marsh. Best of all, in one corner of the marsh, the long staying Long-billed Dowitcher. Brilliant. The chap who picked it up also proved to be a valuable source of information regarding the Thorney Toll Rough-leg. We had been close to the right location after all, and so, now in possession of first-hand gen, we headed back into Cambridgeshire.
To no avail, worse luck. Picked up a few Common Buzzards, one even hovered for a spell, but year tick Stock Dove was the best we managed in a near two hour stake-out before we called time and embarked on the four hour drive home. A slightly downbeat ending it’s true, but not one that detracted at all from the fact it had been a truly splendid trip.
A very different day dawned on Thursday. Cool and misty, even when the sun burned the mist off it remained hazy, a chill in the air enhanced by a stiff breeze. Time to layer up. I decided to put off looking for Rough-legged Buzzard until later in the day, raptors can be late risers, and I fancied trying for something with a better chance of success first, get something out of the day early before settling in for a long, potentially fruitless wait. So Eldernell on the Nene Washes was first port of call. Over a score of Roe deer were out on the washes, nine the biggest single group, which burst into a run at one point, spooked by something I guess, but I couldn’t divine what. A little further on we spied a trio of Common Cranes in the middle distance. Easy peasy, job done.
On then to Thorney Toll, where under a grey ceiling of cloud we scanned the area for large raptors, but with no success. The site description on RBA didn’t really tally with what we were seeing on the ground, leading to doubts as to whether we were even in the right place. The still relatively low sun and blustery wind hampered viewing conditions and further diminished my optimism and enthusiasm, so after about an hour I decided to decamp, resolving to return either here or Holme Fen for another go later in the day.
Frampton was our next destination, and it proved to be a truly fabulous place. Huge numbers of Brent Geese & Wigeon, plenty of other wildfowl, good scattering of waders, Dunlins & Ringed Plovers covering some of the short turf areas of the marsh, Ruff stalking amongst them, great flocks of Golden Plover, getting up and wheeling and whooshing round from time to time, a couple of Spotted Redshank augmenting the ranks of their less elegant Common cousins. The boys had their first ever views of dancing Great Crested Grebes (they were duly impressed), but they missed the boxing Hares I saw on a scope-scan of the distant marsh. Best of all, in one corner of the marsh, the long staying Long-billed Dowitcher. Brilliant. The chap who picked it up also proved to be a valuable source of information regarding the Thorney Toll Rough-leg. We had been close to the right location after all, and so, now in possession of first-hand gen, we headed back into Cambridgeshire.
To no avail, worse luck. Picked up a few Common Buzzards, one even hovered for a spell, but year tick Stock Dove was the best we managed in a near two hour stake-out before we called time and embarked on the four hour drive home. A slightly downbeat ending it’s true, but not one that detracted at all from the fact it had been a truly splendid trip.