Christine's walking & birds blog

Good numbers of pochard and half a dozen wigeon were on East Marsh this evening. Three teal and a sleeping shelduck were also present.

As I walked along the border with the common, a shrieking green woodpecker zoomed down the bank and into the hedge closely pursued by a sparrowhawk. A few minutes later the woodpecker flew rather shakily out of the hedge and back across the wetlands.

A grey wagtail was at the weir, and clouds of tiny midge-like flies were attracting a flock of tits and at least three chiffchaffs.

Back at the bridges, and with the light failing fast, the sparrowhawk was still hunting. It cruised low over the reedbeds and alighted for a few minutes on the boardwalk.

A couple of swallows were over West Marsh, at least thirty parakeets racketed across to the south-east, and a buzzard flew (to roost, presumably) into trees bordering the sewage farm.

The sky was pink when I left, the light golden, and a half-moon was high in the sky. I wonder if the sparrowhawk was successful before night fell, or will go hungry till morning.