Oulton Marshes Boat trip

Jen & I went on a boat trip organised by Suffolk Wildlife Trust this afternoon at 3.30pm, as a thank you to all who had donated to the Oulton Marshes appeal. Unfortunately the weather was at it's worst on the first part of the trip with strong winds and rain lashing down. Soaking those intrepid souls with the "best seat in the house" on the top deck, including yours truly! Jenny had very wisely retreated to the lower covered deck and enjoyed a refreshing cup of tea and shortbread biscuit. The rain did however, force several (c30) Swifts very low over the water hawking for insects. 

It was pleasing to hear from the warden Matt Gooch that SWT had bought up much of the land along the river up to and including Camps Heath marsh. No sooner had we turned around, just before a Little Egret flew north parallel to the river and where the river met the River Waveney, the return journey heralded better weather as the rain stopped and the sun very belatedly came out. A pale male Marsh Harrier flew over the field on Peto's marsh and dropped down into the crops before re-emerging and flying north parallel to and very close to (enabling me to fire off several photo's) and then over the river and then flying appropriately enough over Fisher Row marshes.

Over the past week in the garden the peanut and sunflower feeders have been alive with several Blue Tit fledglings and 1 Great Tit fledgling feeding as well as an adult male Greenfinch feeding from the sunflower feeders. I have been hampered in getting out and about this week what with the poor weather and struggling with a very heavy cold, I had particularly wanted to check out the local Bee Orchid sites.

One morning on Tuesday it was pleasing to hear the "chirruping" of a House sparrow from the bathroom window. Maybe they are nesting near the Holly tree as I saw an adult female with a beak full of food there the previous evening.