Bowers Marsh amble November No.1

Bowers Marsh 11th November 2020

Bowers Marsh, Bowers Gifford is a RSPB nature reserve made up of dry and wet grassland, fresh and saline lagoons, intertidal habitat, salt-marsh and arable areas. With different habitats across the reserve you are likely to see or hear something of interest at any time of the year, from the many ducks and finches in winter, to singing skylarks, water voles and butterflies in summer, plus a variety of wild flowers.

Our walk in the reserve

Although I am writing this as being by myself I am with my partner Anne who also enjoys photography and walking and some of her photos are included. Parking the car at the side of the road as the gate to the car park are closed and locked sadly due to anti social behaviour by a few who do not respect our nature reserves. Gathering our camera's,  Lumix FZ2000, binoculars and bag we head off toward the side gate and footpath to the reserve. I catch sight of a flock of goldfinches feeding on the roadside verge also a few sparrows and chaffinch,

Goldfinch

as I get closer they fly up into the hedgerow and trees further on. These trees and shrubs are now nearing their winter state as the stiff breeze is causing the last of the colourful leaves to fall and the teasels heads are now brown and prickly. As I approach and cross the empty car park I hear the honking of geese in the distance as they feed on the wet meadow grass around the lagoons and ponds.

Teasels

Through the gate and onward reaching the sign post I take the right turn at the end of the cattle shed, here the path is good and winds its way along the dykes and reed beds.

Cattle shed

Pathway to the pond and lagoons

To my right I hear the geese loudly honking as a group take to the sky and circle round before descending back on the grass. Here and there brambles, blackthorn and other shrubs line the edge of the dyke, birds flit in and out of these bushes, goldfinch, stonechat, reed bunting and overhead gulls drift on the wind. 

Geese in flight

Stonechat in the reeds

 The seed heads of Teasels, Common Ragwort and Burdock seed heads add a splash of colour beside the path, berries of different colours and size adorn the hedge rows along the path.

Common Ragwort

Burdock seed heads

Hawthorn berries

Looking up to my left I catch sight of a kestrel hunting  for a snack, it hovers and moves on and hovers again repeating this spectacle for many minutes until finally disappearing from my view. I meet a birder/twitcher standing by the fence with a spotting scope and binoculars, we greet each other with hello and then exchange comments on what we have seen thus far he tells me he spotted a Hen Harrier, Finches, Stonechat along with the more common birds, he tells me he visits here 2 or 3 times a week usually arriving at first light, today at 7.30,

Sign post

Path to the Great pond

Fungi size of  1p

we say our goodbyes and I proceed along the path toward the Great Pond to my left are open fields and on the right the other side of the hedge and dyke are the wet grassland where the geese and other birds are feeding. Arriving at the pond I can see gulls, grebe and ducks out on the water occasionally geese fly past, I sit awhile on the bench listening to the calls of the various waders and geese and the rustling of the reeds in the  wind.

Now moving on I amble back down the path to the crossroads and take the right between the wet and dry meadows towards East Haven point lagoon passing by a couple out walking their dogs, in the meadow to my left I catch the sight of magpies and crows strutting about in the grass. 

Path between the wet and dry meadows

Sign post

Robin

Turning right and then left at the next signpost I had toward East Haven lagoon reaching the top of the steps I meet another gentleman with the scope looking across the lagoon I quietly approach and stand the regulated 2 metre covid distance beside him and observe the lagoon there are numerous waders and gulls on the far side of the lagoon,

East Haven Lagoon

Waders

East Haven Lagoon

we say hello and he begins to point out the various species of waders and geese in the lagoon, Lapwings, Little Egret, Canada Geese, Pochard, Avocet and Black Tailed Godwit. As we are watching a flock of Canada Geese fly across the lagoon and he says always look at them flying because sometimes Barnacles geese will latch onto them and can be

Canada geese

spotted as they are smaller and have different markings. Thanking the gentleman I go on my way returning along the path to the signpost then back along the path between the meadows and take a right along the farm tack beside the hedgerow, 

Looking back down the track

looking back toward the river the weather is closing in and it looks like more rain is on its way. At the top the path turns left toward the carpark. 

Female Goldfinch

I stop here for a while as the birder I met earlier is now watching the trees and bushes where bird feeders have been placed among the trees, blue and great tits, goldfinches, greenfinch and a flock of long tailed tits flit between the feeders and the trees

 

Long Tailed Tits

after watching for a time I move on along the top of the field toward the car park and onto the road to where I parked the car,

Field

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

here again Chaffinch and Goldfinch scurry around on the ground in search of food, all in all a most enjoyable and bracing walk although cloudy, dull and windy.

The Birders we met