The weather put paid to even a short bike ride on Wednesday, so the day after I took a trip to Threave Castle as I've seen hen harriers there at this time of year.
On the path to the castle there were two great tits obviously hanging around for any titbits of food, just like the robin on one of my previous visits. I had really meant to keep my eyes open for willow tits on the way to Stepping Stones Hide but sort of forgot. I visited the hide briefly as a large flock of geese gradually circled in to land on the other side of the river, just mear enough to see through binoculars that they were pink-footed geese. I've seen a lot of them this year.
Leaving the hide I noticed a single goldeneye being propelled downriver by a flood tide but still managing to dive for food.
There wasn't much going on as I made my way up the river, having stopped for a brief look at the new and old osprey nest sites. But there was a small flock of long-tailed tits passing through the trees on the way up to the other hides. I would like to get a snap of one some day but, as usual, they moved on fairly smartly.
The slim pickings continued during three-quarters of an hour spent in the lower hide. As I half suspected, the nearest part of the marshy grassland was extensively flooded, which I think decreased the likelihood of harriers passing by.
A buzzard or two flew past and a red kite wheeled around for a bit a good way off. In the far distance it was just about possible to distinguish some wigeon on the deeper water, but otherwise all was quiet.
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| All quiet from the hide - apart from a single swan |
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