Out of My Area: "Working" Part 2 - Rimac and Donna Nook

I came, I saw, I stood around and asked people questions from dawn 'til dusk (and a little either side). Only getting half hour breaks means I cant never be more than 15 mins walk from the car, but sometimes that's all you need!

Saturday was spent at Rimac. A lovely area of Saltmarsh and dunes south of Saltfleetby. As soon as I arrived I could here the calling of fieldfare overhead and as I set up for my first 2 hours work the dawn chorus was finishing with a flourish of robin song. It was a fairly foggy morning and the air was crisp (so I was freezing), but as the sun burnt of the remaining mist and the dog walkers began to appear I was suddenly surrounded by buntings.

Just after mid-day the habitat managers, in the for of 12 cows, were delivered to the site. No sooner were they out of their trailer than they came over to meet their new friend with the clipboard, so keen were they that I considered hopping over the fence out of the way. But they soon lost interest in me and wandered away.

The rest of the day proved to be enjoyable bird-wise, little egrets on the saltmarsh at lunchtime were joined by lapwing, curlew, whimbrel and redshank. A hobby shot over at around 3pm and I had numerous sightings of peregrine, one flashing through the car park as I went for more sheets. Skeins of geese were also seen high overhead - I presume these were Brent Geese, however the retired warden, on site for the month's WeBS counts informed me that this year had also bought barnacles and white fronted.

I spent Sunday with the seals, Grey Seals to be exact. And fell in love with Lincs. Wildlife Trust, who took me under their collective wing and ensured I was never short of hot coffee, food, and let me (and my parents when they stopped in) use the warden's parking, and the super secret facilities. When I arrived the "dawn patrol" had been there since 6, herding the over enthusiastic photographers away from the saltmarsh and back onto the marked path. Not only was this tramping amongst the seals horrendously thoughtless, it was also downright dangerous as the fog was so thick you could barely see the end of your own nose.
The first break I could get I headed down the path to see the seals, then, fed up with the crowds, I turned back to get a hot coffee and chat to my lovely new warden friends.

Never short of Brent geese during the stay a few dark individuals could be seen mixed in with the rest of the flock.

There are always a few that think they have the right to go where ever they like (annoyingly they often get a better experience than more careful individuals)

Big boat, big birds

Geese and Greys, a GREYt weekend.....

All in all this weekend I met great people, ate greasy hot food in the cold (bliss), drank big cups of cocoa and got paid to chat wildlife to interesting people (I even met some friends from my time at Spurn). I cant wait to see where I end up and what I see in the first weekend in December!