Tuesday 28 August 2012

A morning in Leicestershire - August 22, 2012


Dave and I went to Birstall Meadows today as there had been a Spotted Crake yesterday.  However after over an hour there been no sign and we decided to go to Cossington Meadows where there had been both Redstart and Whincht this morning.  We did see a Little Egret, Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper whilst we were waiting for the crake.

We walked down the main entrance road at Cossington Meadows seeing two Lesser Whitethroats and a Whitethroat in the hedgerow.  As we walked further we had a glimpse of a bird we thought might be the Redstart and soon had brief views, although quite good of the Redstart.  WE continued down the track looking for the Whinchat but to no avail.  As we walked back others were looking for the Redstart but had not seen it but I then picked it up as it flew into a bush in the hedgerow and perching nicely for everyone to get good views.  We had established that we had been looking in the wrong place for the Whinchat and so we had a further look on the way back.  After some time we had not seen it but then Dave picked it up and we eventually had two.


Greylag Goose over Cossington Meadows


Lesser Whitethroat at Cossington Meadows

News came through around lunchtime that the crake was showing so Dave and I retuned but after about ninety minutes we had not seen it and we decided to call it a day.  It did show again in the evening but not until after 19:00 and it was then almost five hours between the sightings.

We saw two Little Egrets this afternoon and a Cormorant flew over but we only saw the Common Sandpiper and not the Green Sandpiper.  The Swifts were gone although there were now three House Martins feeding over the meadows.


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