Nature Fix

I've just endured 2 weeks solid of nature deprivation and it was taking it's toll on me. With my work colleague on annual leave I've had to cover her duties and as much as I admire people who do administrative roles, it's 'really' not for me. I'd rather stick pins in my eyes. No escape last weekend as I had to spend it doing an assignment on Risk Assessment and yes it was as fascinating as it soundzzzzzz. So this Saturday I was going out for my nature fix come what may.

The weather forecast was absolutely lousy and of course it was one of those occasions they got it right. Wet, windy, wild and unseasonably warm. The perfect cocktail for a naff days birding but birding I was going. I'd arranged to pick Sharpy and Ephraim up at 06.00. So Ephraim (rightly or wrongly, you decide) set his alarm for 06.20. A couple of texts to him from Sharpy failed to produce any signs of life from his house so we had to hit the road to RSPB Minsmere a man light. His apologies came in text form as we were well on the way through Essex. "Youth of today..... when I was that age..... bla bla bla".

The weather was damp, dark and breezy when we arrived and steadily deteriorated to torrential rain and howling gales as the day progressed. Weren't hides a great invention. As you'd expect the birding was quiet to say the least but a couple of nice flight views of Bitterns over the reed beds were a joy to behold. Marsh Harriers were braving the conditions and harriering over the marsh.

This one caught something it seemed pleased with??? Answers on a postcard.

Other birds of note were 5 Spotted Redshanks and a Great White Egret. A Skimmer/Darter type dragonfly was hunting in what looked like slow motion but it just wouldn't settle to get an id. In November???

So after a day of driving in awful conditions and some predictably unproductive birding in awful conditions, I arrived home thinking " thank god I got out"!!! I'm not sure if this brings my sanity into question. Perhaps I'll start wearing a hair shirt, or staying late at work to do admin, or actually sticking pins in my eyes. Maybe I'll start setting my alarm for 07.30 to get to work for 07.00. Surely not that mad.....