At Brandon Marsh

A fine, fine evening, and an uncommon treat for us all in this damp summer. So I took the opportunity for quick trip to Brandon Marsh.

As I walked up to Carlton Hide, I found myself wondering whether I might see a Hobby, having not seen one all summer. With this objective in mind, I walked into the hide, sat down, opened the window and found myself looking at... a Hobby! (I wish it always worked like that). Sat on a customary perch in a dead tree, it was brilliantly lit by late evening sun, and three times it left this perch to hawk lazily for dragonflies.

After watching the Hobby for a while, and enjoying the spectacle of a Kingfisher flashing by, I left and walked back to the East Marsh Hide. A Redshank was making itself as obvious as it could by calling loudly from a treetop above the hide door (see photo). This was an arresting sight in itself, since it is far more common to see this wading bird up to its knees in mud - indeed I am not sure I have ever seen one in a tree before.

Out on the main water there was plenty to enjoy - Common Terns swooped, there were plenty of Lapwing, three Cormorants sunned themselves and lots of young Herons were squabbling.

And the walk back to the car was itself a treat in itself, with great views of Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, a Garden Warbler, a female Whitethroat, a male Blackcap, two Green Woodpeckers, one Great Spotted Woodpecker and three Jays - not a bad haul in just a few hundred yards.