Murky Marsh

 Wednesday January 24

Yet another short outing, Buckenham the destination and this time we made it. A very dull afternoon was compounded by the mist hanging over Buckenham Marsh, scoping was like looking through thin soup. 

The first scan, near the railway station, at what we know as goose corner, only produced two young male Chinese Water Deer. Their 'tusks' were very obvious as they followed each other through the rough sedge.


One had a distinctive white flash on its face.


Further scoping unveiled:

thousands of Lapwing, both scattered everywhere we looked and, in enormous swathes flying above the far bank

one Canada Goose, its head and neck stretched up from a dyke

a dozen Greylag

two white Ruff - we only saw white Ruff here last winter, is that because they are returning birds, or stand out because of their colour. Maybe the dark ones hide better.

hundreds of grazing and abluting Wigeon.

A further three Chinese Water Deer made that total five, well down on numbers usually seen here.

The only raptor we saw was a lone Red Kite, circling above the wood as we left.

Braving the cold wind blowing from the hide side of the reserve, to scan the large pool, to find yet more Wigeon scattered around on both water and pasture.

The pool had....... yes, more Wigeon, Teal, two pairs of Gadwall, a few Mallard, Sheveller and Shelduck.

An alert from Steve Chapman added a Great Egret, its head briefly appearing from a distant waterway.

No point in going on to Halvergate, it was already too dark to see well, a welcome return home to a cup of hot tea and warmth.



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