A Mid-September Visit to Frampton Marsh

15th September 2023

A mid-September visit with certainly an autumnal feel about it. On my last visit the pools in front of the visitor centre were full of birds providing some great opportunities for some close-ups. However, this time there were hundreds of waders present, but were all congregated out in the middle. In fact the only bird that was within range was the long-staying Whooper Swan.

The trail to the 360 hide was fairly quiet but still a lot of butterflies flying like this Red Admiral and Small White.

Outside the hide a male Migrant Hawker was patrolling the ditch, frequently hovering. This was just too good to resist.

Unlike my last visit there were no birds near the hide but two distant Little Stints were  a pleasant sight.....................

.........................along with a group of eight Curlew Sandpipers in amongst some Dunlin.

Along the track some juvenile Goldfinches were learning to feed from Teasels.

The Reed Bed Hide overlooked just 13 Spoonbills today, together with a couple of hundred Black-tailed Godwit and a lone Ruff.

But what was a surprise was the first five Pink-footed Geese of the winter

Along the sea wall there was a fair amount of Greylag Goose activity..............

......................but it was the Buzzard flying lazily overhead that put everything up including the Black-tailed Godwits and the Spoonbills.

On the marsh there were several Meadow Pipits and Yellow Wagtails with a back-drop of maturing Glasswort Salicornia europaea which turns from bright green to that beautiful reddish colour.

Most of the Yellow Wagtails were juveniles with just this one adult.

And finally I am sure you will all have enjoyed at some time the strip of Sunflowers that stretches along the road from the visitor centre down to the path to the Reed Bed Hide. It has always been good for providing seed to finches and buntings, but I was particularly delighted to see that the first birds on it this year were a family of Greenfinches.

Greenfinches were in decline for several year due to trichomonosis but are now making a comeback, and last year I saw at least 20 on these sunflowers. So well done to the team at RSPB Frampton Marsh for not only managing a fantastic reserve but also providing plenty of natural food,