Birding Group : Burton Mere Wetlands : 3rd June 2021

The second birding group outing since resuming our trips after 2^nd wave Covid was to Burton Mere Wetlands. The hides were open again but you still have to wear a mask and ones bins and scopes steam up straight away so not much fun and hard to bear for long. Anyway, we decided to head off to the Border Hide (Inner Marsh Farm hide as was) straight away before the crowds arrived (note – we were the crowd) and managed to get a couple of good wader year-ticks there, namely a single Dunlin and a pair of Curlew Sandpipers – the later, unusually, starting to get into their summer plumage so not quite as we usually see them.

There were lots of Black tailed Godwits there but not a lot else. We wandered up to the point where we ran into one of the staff who said he had seen a pair of Green Woodpeckers. It took us some time but eventually we found them both. They were not particularly green and were well camouflaged against the ground just below the metal gate near the railway line. They kept disappearing into the ruts down there but would occasionally emerge to give us quite good views of them eating ants, I suppose. A good double year-tick.

Walking back we could hear a few Sedge Warblers, lots of Cetti’s and down by the Marsh Covert hide I actually managed to see the Reed Warbler that was singing deep down in the reeds. None of us has seen a Reed Bunting this year which is really strange.

We looked at the Little Egret roost to see if we could locate any Spoonbills but with no success. The scape seemed to be a mass of Black Headed Gulls and chicks but there were a few Avocets with a few of their young too. Down at the barn we got a Great Spotted Woodpecker and that was about it for us. The group went their different ways but we went down to the Harp Inn for lunch and a look over the marsh. Nothing much to get excited about except a nice pint of Boltmaker and a cheese toastie!

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands 3rd June 2021