Holme Birding!

Don't get excited, I wasn't out for long!!! I have been at work for most of the day, but we finished earlier than expected at 3pm. So – I whizzed home, changed, and with birding gear in boot, cruised to Holme.

I haven't been to Holme Marsh Reserve for quite awhile, so was really looked forward to my mini birding excursion here. The track to the small carpark was an absolute mud bath. From the carpark, I saw a Barn Owl flying along the public footpath. It was around 4.20pm when I arrived and it was still beautifully sunny. It's so wonderful to see the evenings getting lighter.

As I walked along the path to the hides I could see several moorhens, coots and mallards in the small pools just before the kissing gate. I sat in the first hide and waited patiently for something exciting to appear, but it was a bit late in the day now for anything. A Grey Heron flew over Holme marsh. Mute Swan on the pool, Mallards, a Wren, Blackbird and that was about it!

The second hide was slightly more productive with 2 Little Grebes who seemed to be diving simultaneously, 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 boxing hares! I returned to the first hide for a short while where I met and chatted with another birder. It was freezing cold, once the sun had set  – walked back to my car.

Went to visit my parents briefly. Mother told me about a lovely little incident she had been lucky enough to witness this morning: a hedgesparrow was sitting on the kitchen window ledge, looking into the glass, singing and serenading itself for ages!