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Monday 6 March 2017

Jack Snipe, Bittern and Chiffchaff at Strumpshaw Fen

Following my daily trip to the Post Office, I carried on to the Fen to take advantage of a somewhat warmer morning. A large group of 'Nordic Walkers' in pink kagouls were milling about Reception Hide (this being the RSPB's latest fund raising idea!) so I didn't stop. Fen Hide was less crowded: ex-colleague Nigel, photographer Eddie and - a legend in his own lunchtime - Mike 'Red' O'Hara. It was pleasant to shoot the breeze and catch up with news: Red hardly seems to have missed anything for six months (apart from the Hooded Crow at Mautby!) Apart from a good number of Buzzards passing through, there was little about, so we moved on, heading east along the river bank.

By the reserve's back entrance we stopped to listen to the first Chiffchaff of the year: eventually we managed some decent pictures. As we watched the bird and conjectured whether it had over-wintered, at least three more started to call: obviously there'd been an arrival!

Red carried on back to Fen Hide, so Nigel and I returned to Reception to record the Chiffies: fortunate that we did, because we quickly added Jack Snipe and Bittern to the day's total!









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