Alkborough Flats

30 Days Wild, day 20: In April I went on a water vole and otter survey training day at Alkborough Flats, on the south side of the Humber estuary. While reading up about the site, I saw that it was a good place to watch bearded tits.

I'm not a great birder, but this is one bird I'd like to see, so I went back today to try and find them. I went to the first hide I came to and asked an old man inside if this was the best place to find bearded tits. He said it was and gave me the usual birders' answer, "there was one here five minutes ago".

I sat in the hide for over an hour. There was a flock of avocets on the pond in front of me, some shelduck, a little egret, a few lapwings and the inevitable black-headed gulls. A marsh harrier flew over, there were reed buntings in the reed beds, but absolutely no sign of a bearded tit.

Avocets

Shelduck feeding

Little egret (photo taken through the hedge)

Marsh harrier

Scruffy reed bunting

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