7th March '09 Far Ings Nature Reserve

Cold, cloudy, breezey.

Far Ings Nature Reserve

This is the first view you get as you approach the reserve!

I said on last weeks post that it was our 40th wedding anniversary. Well we couldn't get away that weekend so here we are, birding on the Humber Estuary. Some may say, what a sad couple of anoraks. Others may just cringe but read on. We don't give a fiddlers elbow. Have you seen the places we've been to, in our anoraks? Beats, 'Shake Rattle an Roll el Sharma' any day! Others may say, get the ...... on with it! The view you see above is spectacular. I just love the majestic image of the Humber Bridge alongside the natural aspect of the estuary and the reserve. They seem to complement each other. Now read on, the reserve is dog free and free admission! On this important date of our anniversary no expense is spared.

The reserve is made up of many former clay pits, abandoned long ago and having filled up naturally with fresh water. And developed and managed now by the Lincolnshire Trust, bless em!

View across Pursuit Pit from the estuary embankment.

There are several paths around the site. We chose the Chowder Ness Round as this covers most of the site with options on the way to cover bits of others that may have been missed. There are hides on nearly all of the pits. Intrigueingly most of them have doors to the hides with different methods of opening them.

View across the pits.

Surprisingly, we found most of the bird activity out of the water and not on it. I suppose that is normal at this time of year, probably improving in the migration periods. Still it just shows how diverse the site is in that there is more to it than filled in clay pits. Having reached the embankment again at Target Lake if you then go up river instead of continuing on the Ness Round you will be confronted with a wonderful sight of Chowder Ness Foreshore. Even more so from a birding perspective, at low tide. And it was low tide as we found it. Curlews were in abundance prodding their way across the exposed silt. What a sight. And it can only be in locations like this I would think that you get to see them in flight. I'm beginning to realise with this birding milarky that you must not only learn to recognise a bird while perched, but also while it is in flight. Sometimes its only possible to identify a bird from another type when it is in flight!

Looking along the Chowder Ness Foreshore up river.

And so back along the embankment to the centre taking in the North Meadows and the Cement Works. Its from the latter that access to the shore is again accomplished with sightings of waders possible. And as in my case a much needed toilet break. Back at the centre having had a further break and look round the shop we did the Reedbed Path continuing passed the old tile works and under the bridge stopping at the old boat rescue building.

PINK FOOTED GOOSE*, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Sparrow Hawk, Ruddy Duck, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Curlew, Redshank, Greater Black Backed Gull, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe.