Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore

 Took a detour on my latest visit to Cambridge.

I was in the 360 degree hide at Frampton Marsh by 0845 on Sunday morning.

Lots of adult avocets and several young. The avocets were very aggressive towards any birds that came anywhere near their young, Greylag geese and tufted ducklings were all vigorously chased away, even though they posed no threat to the young avocets. One person in the hide commented on the increased number of breeding avocets since the predator fence was installed, and thought that this increase was having a detrimental effect on other waders breeding due to the avocets behaviour.

Lots of little ringed plovers

ruff, in various colour

Black winged stilts had raised young

Common terns were also feeding young

From the reedbed hide I saw lots of spoonbills

hundreds of black tailed godwits

To the left of the east hide were more waders including spotted redshank and tick number 177 for the year an American wigeon. Lots of butterflies about but due to the strong winds they did not settle in the open.

I got soaked as I walked from the east hide back to the visitor centre, so I decided to drive to Freiston Shore and try to dry my clothes on the way. One of the roads to Frampton Marsh is closed at the moment, so the journey to Freiston was a bit longer so my clothes were nearly dry when I got there.

Not that it mattered as I got wet again walking to the hide.

Again lots of avocets about, chasing any birds away from their young. At least 12 little egrets

Lots of redshanks. Was the visitor at Frampton correct and the avocets had forced the redshanks to move to Freiston?

Common terns were fishing to feed their young and a barn owl was out hunting by 4pm.

A very pleasant break on my journey.