The flush count this morning was quite a slog, wading though standing water, balancing on tussocks and trying not to loose wellies to the gripping mud. The reward was a tally of 88 snipe (probably eight of them Jacks). Identical to the number recorded this time last year. However the distribution was rather different. Today the snipe were favouring the conditions in Big Meadow (68 found here, concentrated in the top part of the marsh) with a mere two flushed in School Pond just as we’d almost given up. 14 in the Hay Meadow and 4 in Upper Sowerholme completed the count. In addition two female pheasants were spotted: one in Upper Sowerholme, the other in Big Meadow. And a brown hare too in Big Meadow.
Queens Award for Voluntary Service