Tuesday 8 November 2022

On the Level - Level 42 (Part 1)

 A telephone call from Dave Foot on Saturday alerted me to his intent of visiting the Somerset Levels once again and inviting me along, but the joy would start before leaving home. 05:30 the following day both 

LITTLE OWL
and
TAWNY OWL
were singing their hearts out, close to the River Stour, before mounting the trusty steed and heading for Dorchester. Along the long wall that protects Charbough Park (home of Richard Drax M.P. for Dorset) a flighty 
BARN OWL
made up the Hat-Trick of there kind before reaching the rendezvour and altering course to a more northerly heading. Hopes were high to see the usual plethora of Birds and hopefully Animals across these huge wet-lands but focus was to be firmly on a certain Feathered Friend from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean!
Just a little over an hour later we were surveying the vastness of these, at that time,
mist-logged areas from a high vantage point then soon into the
Car Park
and enjoying the wealth of
WAYFARING TREE BERRYS
with a single
MARSH HARRIER
already circling overhead and while still only a few onlookers some were already reassuring us that the Object of Our Desire
was still in attendance and showing just reasonably well.
We always pay attention to this nifty little gateway cum shelter leading to the pathway to the children's  play and outside educationnal area, before the next contender showed its hand.
Certainly the Tallest Kid on the Block, one of good numbers of
GREAT WHITE EGRET
(dropping the WHITE bit if you prefer?)
Already a 'few keen enthusiasts'
were watching the every move of the
Trans-Atlantic Visitor an
AMERICAN WIGEON
and before departing for other areas for myself it was the first sighting
for the back-end of the year of both
FIEDFARE
and a close cousin in the
REDWING
newly arrived from Scandinavia.
Part II manana if all goes to plan.