A November Visit to Frampton Marsh

9th November 2022

Good to see that the water levels are gradually being restored. but a bit odd to be walking round Frampton Marsh nearing mid-November with the temperatures being in the high teens centigrade. There were good numbers of wildfowl on the lagoon in front of the visitor centre, but apart from the ever-present Lapwings the only other waders present were a small group of Ruff.

There was obviously a bird of prey around as the Wigeon were getting spooked quite frequently which allowed some flight shots. Lovely photographing the lagoon from the centre as the sun is always behind you. Oh, yes it is!!!

I assume the raptor was a Peregrine as even the Greylags were restless.

Down by the sea wall car park a female Kestrels was hanging in the wind, surveying the marsh below for rodents.

Very few waders here today, just a handful of Lapwing and a trio of Dunlin which eventually worked their way closer. I suspect most of the waders were out on The Wash.

Along the trail to the sea wall a pair of Stonechats were performing well, the male getting his feathers ruffled in the breeze.

East Hide was unusually quiet, but this drake Pintail was resting up not far from the hide.

A female Marsh Harrier drifted across coming a lot closer than normal providing some great opportunities.

There were a few single geese flying around which I had assumed were Greylags and I was taking the chance to grab some flight shots. It was only when I got home that I found out that one the the birds was in fact a Pink-footed Goose.

But it was also good the see that the feral flock of seven Red-breasted Geese were still present and feeding alongside the Canada and Greylags.

Fortunately they were fairly mobile so I managed to get a couple of shots of all seven birds.

But the star of the show today was this Dor Beetle, one of the dung beetle family, which was crawling across the path by East Hide. What an amazing creature!!!