Saturday 20 October 2012

The Perilous Patch

The weather had been pretty horrendous this week but after several days in front of the laptop I was feeling intrepid and ready to face whatever Mother Nature had to throw at me. High tides and floods had reared their heads again and added a sense of danger to the great outdoors. So last evening I took a deep breath, donned waterproofs and braved what can only be described as, well, a 'light drizzle'.

Blackbird in Lady St Mary churchyard, Wareham
As a result of the latest deluge, various pools around Swineham had merged into a big lake, and some of the footpaths were more like canals. Despite the frisson of peril, in truth the only thing I was in danger of losing was my wellies. The hoped for Hen Harriers and Merlins failed to materialise, and a couple of Marsh Harriers was about the best of it.

Marsh Harrier at Bestwall RSPB
There seemed to be a lot more birds around compared to recent weeks though - thrushes filling the local churchyard, gulls spoilt for choice by the new wetland habitats springing up all over place and a lapwing flock in the harbour building up for the winter. So many birds in fact that it felt really promising for something rare. Unfortunately, none of the Thrushes were Dusky, the Lapwings weren't Sociable and the gulls certainly weren't Laughing.

Finally, a few images below to show how Wareham is preparing for Halloween:




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