Brookie's Diary

• Monday, August 28, 2006 - Blacktoft Sands

A golden opputunity to do a bit of birding for 1/2 a day, so what sholud it be? Local? East Coast? not enough time for Spurn to catch a few migrants. So it was visit Number 91 to Blacktoft Sands 28th August. Todays visit was soley for Digiscoping having got the Cable Release Bracket from the birdfair last time out I was itching to get into the field and give it a try out. On arrival at 8.45am I made my way up to Marshland Hide to view the waders. I wasn't disappointed the area was full with Black Tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Spotted Redshanks, Green Sandpipers, Dunlin, Lapwing, Golden Plover and Ruff. There was also a glimpse of a Spotted Crake along with a Water Rail these soon vanished back into the reeds when the Marsh Harrier showed up quatering the reed area. Ducks include a Pintail, Mallard. and Teal. I moved on down to the next hide > Xerox. Again the waders were plentiful but nothing different from Marshland except for Snipe. I got a quick glimpse of a Reed Warbler but it was quick. Time was running out I had to be back home for 3pm so I moved down to the Singleton hide for the last hour. I'd taken about a hundred pictures at this time I was pleased with some but alot were throw away. A few Swallows going through 2 Grey Herons, Little Grebe and another glimpse of a Water Rail just before the Marsh Harrier showed up again. What about the pics. I was pleased with the bracket no end  , but my focus is a bit dodgy I have'nt got that sharpness to the pictures. Could it be down to eyesight not quiet getting that edge??? or something to do with the set up??. Weather held, one spot of rain when I was in Marshland Hide early on. Day total at 34 species. Missed bird was a  Merlin in adjacent farmland. The year total up to 118.

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