20th September. At last a Pifer

A week of Easterlies along the east coast made for a tempting trip. Unfortunately a very late night on Saturday and the winds reverting to westerley meant situation normal. Determined to get out somewhere and at least salvage something we decided on Potteric then failing anything on the coast visit the Dearne Valley.


An hour and a half sat in the Piper Marsh hide failed to reveal any Bitterns and had it not been for a juv Little Stint on Huxter Well Marsh the trip would have been a washout. With the east coast offering the merest scattering of 'scarce' we decided on the Dearne Valley as it was nearer and had the added attraction of an as yet sampled pie purveyor.

I'd had a tip off from a colleague that the pies here were a bit special and he was not wrong! I quickly identified a brace of fine looking Rabbit pies skulking in the corner of the fridge a new specimen for me, a pifer even. Despite Jo's reservation about cold rabbit pie we wandered along the Wombwell Ings flood bank gorging ourselves on a rich gelatinous game filling covered in delicate short crust pastry. Not even the discovery of rare white dog shit could distract us from these premier pies and a full ten points were awarded.Rabbit Pies with diagnostic rabbit features

A true 'Rare'

Pies consumed we waddled up to the hide to discover that the Pec' Sand was hiding behind a group of very stubborn pikey horses. A further walk to view the east of the Ings produced it but it was distant and shrouded in haze prompting Jo top declare how crap it was and that the Kestrel on the wires was far nicer.