Frampton Marsh in Mid-October

13th October 2024

The pools outside the visitor centre were very quiet so took a walk down the track to look at the annual crop of Sunflowers. No large flocks of finches just yet, just a couple of Goldfinches making the most of the free food.

The only other passerines that came close today were some Meadow Pipits on the sea wall.

The Brent Geese are now back in numbers and were filling the air with their gurgling flight call as they moved from one area to another.

On the duck front were some Shoveler and Teal with the males just coming out of their eclipse plumage and therefore looking a bit scruffy.

Only the Wigeons were looking dapper in their new plumage, especailly against a back-drop of Buttonweed.

This one still has a long way to go before attaining its adult male plumage.

Very few waders today not helped by the low tide, with just a handful of Dunlin by the track to East Hide.

Also a few Redshank with this one being particularly cooperative for some shots.

Ruff numbers were well down from our last visit with just five by the visitor centre compared with 50+ last time.

But you can always rely on a Lapwing to pose for the camera.

But at this time of year it is always worth searching the fields amongst the Lapwings for their winter visitor cousins, Golden Plovers. Just look at that camouflage!!!!

Most were either juveniles or adults already moulted into their winter plumage, but this bird is an adult still showing the remains of its black breast summer plumage.

But the star of the show today was this enormous female Peregrine Falcon which spent a couple of hours digesting its breakfast on one of the fences out on the grazing marsh. What a fantastic way to end the day.