Friday 31 March 2017

A day in Norfolk - March 30, 2017

David, Malcolm, Roger and I had planned to go to Norfolk today for a day’s birding, initially in the Brecks and then on the coast, in an attempt to pick up some long staying wintering birds and early spring migrants.  We met at David at around 06:30 and then, with Malcolm driving, we set of for Cockley Cley and specifically Cockleycley Wood in the hope of finding a wintering Great Grey Shrike and some Woodlarks.


We parked at firebreak 107 and walked a short distance along the track and observed a recently cleared area, where the shrike had been seen regularly.  As we walked through the woodland near the road we heard Goldcrest and Nuthatch but hadn’t seen too much by the time we reached the clearing.  The clearing was fenced off and so we were viewing the area through the fencing but there was no sign of the shrike.  I walked further along the side of the fence when a military plane flew over and induced a Woodlark to sing.  I alerted the others but none of them had heard the Woodlark but it sang again as they approached and Roger then found it on the ground in the cleared area.  As we watched it, it flew towards us and landed on a wire behind us where we had good views and were able to photograph it before it returned to the cleared area.  It repeated this process on two more occasions and when it returned to the cleared the last time it was joined by a second bird.


Woodlark


Woodlark


Woodlark


Woodlark

With still no sign of the Great Grey Shrike we decided to walk around the edge of the fencing to ensure we had covered the whole area.  David heard a Fieldfare calling and we suspected that there would be a few but we were struggling to locate any and then a single bird flew out of the tree we were stood next to before perching at the top of another tree on the far side of the clearing.  We were a little surprised to see just a single bird but it became clear after a few minutes that it was a lone bird.  There was also another singing Woodlark perched at the top of a dead tree.


Woodlark

We had heard four Chiffchaffs by the time we had completed the circuit but still hadn’t found the Great Grey Shrike and on getting back to the car felt it would be better to move on rather than go looking for the shrike at firebreak 109.

Our next stop was another area near Cockley Cley, which is a good area for Goshawk and where a Stone Curlew had been seen last weekend.  When we arrived, we scanned the field but there was no sign of any Stone Curlew but Malcolm continued to look and was Rewarded when he found two hunkered down that were revealing just their heads.  Having seen the Stone Curlews, we turned our attention to the forest and found several Buzzards displaying and I picked up an accipiter, which suddenly just plunged into the forest before anyone else got on it but my view was that it was a Sparrowhawk.

Malcolm and David then thought they had a Goshawk but Roger and I were having difficulty locating them but they were clearly looking at different birds.  We both managed to get onto Malcom’s bird and agreed it was a Goshawk and probably a male.  It then performed well for about ten minutes before eventually disappearing to the west.  Whilst we were observing the forest we had a least six Buzzard and also a Kestrel and we had a Red Kite as we came through the village.

Our next target was a juvenile Pallid Harrier at New Holkham and so we headed north through Swaffham and onto Fakenham and then onto to New Holkham.  We just had a couple of Kestrel on route and on arrival after visiting two lookout points opted for the first, which gave us an excellent view of the fields that the harrier had been seen in.  There was another birder present but he hadn’t seen the bird today and left shortly afterwards.  We settled down to view the area whilst having our lunch during which time we four Grey Partridge, including some territorial activity, two Red Kite, a female-type Marsh Harrier, at least four Buzzards and a Kestrel but unfortunately not the Pallid Harrier.


Grey Partridge


Grey Partridge


Red Kite


Red Kite

With no sign of the harrier in almost two hours we called it a day and headed to Titchwell via Wells-next-the-Sea.  There had been a tweet regarding two Spoonbills at Burnham Overy Staithe and as we were passing the lookout point we stopped to look.  We found six Pink-footed Geese amongst a party of Greylag Geese and about ten Brent Geese were visible on the saltmarsh.  I picked up a distant Red Kite over the dunes but there was no sign of any Spoonbills.  We were about to leave when David cried “three Spoonbills flying right” and we then followed them as they continued towards Holkham.

Please we had got the Spoonbills we continued onto Titchwell, where I was hoping for a Water Pipit as several had been seen recently with David seeing four last week.  When we arrived two had been reported on Thornham Pool and so we made our way down the bank to view the pool.  There was no sign of any Water Pipits but we did have three Little Ringed Plovers and a couple of Red-legged Partridge.

As we continued along the west bank we saw four Marsh Harriers and found three male and a female Red-crested Pochard along with a Pochard and Little Grebe on the Reedbed Pool and just before reaching Island Hide David heard a Bearded Tit call several times but I only managed to hear it once and it didn’t show.  Three Sand Martins then flew over heading west.

When we reached the Freshwater Marsh, we found a single Grey Plover and a Ruff in the fenced off area and there were three winter Knot and two Black-tailed Godwits resting a little closer.  As I started to scan through some gulls I found a Mediterranean Gull, which initially looked like and adult but on closer inspection we realised that it was a second-summer bird.  There was also another Little Ringed Plover on the same island.


Second-summer Mediterranean Gull

There were plenty of Avocets on the Freshwater Marsh and a few on the other marshes as we walked on toward the sea.  Volunteer Marsh produced two more Knot, a second Grey Plover and a few Curlew and Redshank.


Knot


Knot


Knot


Brent Geese over the Freshwater Masrh

The Tidal Marsh was rather quiet but Malcolm and I did have a female Pintail fly over and there was a superb looking Red Kite that landed briefly on the far side of the marsh before heading off east.

When Malcolm and I reached the beach David and Roger had seen Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter and Velvet Scoter and after getting some directions I found the three Velvet Scoter they had seen and quite a few Long-tailed Duck and a raft of Common Scoter.  Malcolm decided to go down the beach to the shoreline to try and get a better few and shortly afterwards David found a Red-breasted Merganser.  The beach to the east was devoid of waders and most appeared to be feeding to the west.  I finally decided I would go and join Malcolm at the water’s edge and when I reached him I realised how many Long-tailed Ducks there actually were and suspected that there were at least forty.  I took a few photos of the birds closest on the sea and got several shots when a flock flew by.


Long-tailed Duck


Long-tailed Duck


Long-tailed Duck

As I looked down the beach at the waders there were mainly Oystercatcher and Curlew but there was also circa twenty Sanderling, two Bar-tailed Godwits and six Turnstones.  Malcolm then picked up two gulls he thought might be Little Gulls and on getting them in the scope I could see that they were, a first- and a second-year birds.

Malcom and I then headed back and joined David and Roger, who had seen much the same as us but unfortunately hadn’t seen the Little Gulls.  We made our way back but other than a Little Egret added nothing new for the day and a further stop at Thornham Marsh failed to produce a Water Pipit.

We made a brief stop at Choseley Barns on the way home but couldn’t find any Corn Buntings and saw very little else.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - March 28, 2017

It was quite foggy when I left home but the forecast was for it to clear by about 09:30 and it wasn’t therefore surprising when I arrived at Eyebrook Reservoir it was still foggy.  As I approached the reservoir I could make out the old oak but as far as I could see there were no Little Owls on view.  I stopped at the inlet bridge and found a Marsh Tit feeding quite avidly on the feeders, which was the first I had seen at the site since August last year.  Whilst at the bridge a Little Egret flew over, two Snipe flew off the edges of the stream and three Tree Sparrows flew over.  When I moved around to the Rutland bank I could just make out the near shore but saw very little and with no sign of the fog clearing I went across country to the Lyndon Reserve at Rutland Water.

I saw a good selection of commoner birds on route with the best being a Buzzard perched at the roadside approaching Seaton and I heard a Chiffchaff near Wing.  A stop at Lyndon Church failed to produce the regular Nuthatch and with little else I continued to the Lyndon Reserve.

It was still foggy when I pulled into the car park and I just viewed the feeders for a while where the best was a single Tree Sparrow.  I had spoken to Steve and he and Terry weren't doing any better in the North Arm and so I decided to go to the Egleton Reserve.

I checked out the meadow alongside the car park and found four Redwing and a Mistle Thrush feeding.  I then went into the viewing area in the centre but Lagoon One was only partially visible and so I started off for Snipe Hide on the Wet Meadow.  I had just reached the end of the woodland after viewing a Chiffchaff, when Steve called to say that there were two winter plumaged Little Gulls in the North Arm and a summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe off Dickinson’s Bay.

As Little Gull was a year-tick I returned to the car park and headed for the North Arm.  The fog was still quite thick but there were four Little Egrets on the edge of the fishponds and when I reached the end of the spit I could see quite a few gulls flying over the water.  Initially I only saw Black-headed Gulls but then a Little Gull appeared out of the fog and I was watching it the second bird appeared.  I checked out the rest of the area that I could see and found three female Goosander at the edge of the fishponds.

The fog had lifted slightly when I set off for Dickinson’s Bay and I saw a Great White Egret as I travelled along the A606 towards Barnsdale.  After parking at the bottom of the road I walked down the road to view the North Arm.  There was very little visible in the North Arm or Dickinson’s Bay but I did eventually find a small grebe swimming further into the arm and assumed that it was possibly the Black-necked Grebe but wasn’t sure and returned to the spit to see if I could relocate it.

I found a summer plumaged grebe on the far shore but couldn’t gat any real colour or see it very well due to the lingering fog.  I then spent more time searching where I had seen a Slavonian Grebe several times recently but eventually gave up and walked back to the car.

As I approached the gate a bird flew over the road and my first impression was that it might be a Blackcap.  On scanning the bushes, I found it still on view and my first impression proved to be correct.  When I got back to the car it was still in the bush but was quite active and I got the camera out hoping for a shot but it then just disappeared and I couldn’t relocate it but did find a Treecreeper.

Gerry then arrived and after a brief look for the Blackcap he went down to the spit and I then decided to join him.  When I reached him he had seen the two Little Gulls and had also found a grebe he thought might be a Red-necked.  A soon found the bird but it didn’t look at all right for a Red-necked and I suspected that it was probably a Slavonian Grebe but the fog and the birds moult state wasn’t making it easy.

As the fog cleared further we agreed that was indeed a moulting Slavonian Grebe.  We then found the other grebe on the far side, which still wasn’t easy in the misty conditions, but the jizz was suggesting that it was probably a second Slavonian Grebe.  Mike had also joined us now and the fog began to lift further and the second grebe started to swim towards and we were soon able to confirm that it was a summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe.

Having finally satisfied ourselves on the identification of the grebes we went to the Egleton Reserve and lunch.  Whist having lunch a Brimstone was found but there was little bird activity.


Brimstone

From the viewing area, there were just two Shelduck of note and I began making my way to the southern lagoons.  I hadn’t gone too far when another birder informed me that there was a working party near Snipe Hide and that he hadn’t seen very much and so I turned around and went to the northern lagoons.


Woodpigeon in the Egleton Meadows

I found Gerry coming out from Redshank Hide and we went into Grebe Hide to view Lagoon Two but found very little, except for about twenty Sand Martins, and we were soon continuing to Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four.

As we scanned the lagoon we found sixteen Shelduck, eight Pintail, seven Oystercatchers, five Little Ringed Plovers, thirteen Dunlin, two Curlew and six Redshank.  Terry then called to say that was a pair of Grey Partridge in the large meadow.  Gerry and I came out the hide and being able to see part of the large meadow scanned and there were the two Grey Partridge.  A quickly erected the tripod but when I looked again and they had disappeared.  I called Terry who confirmed that they had flown off into one of the more western meadows and were not now visible.  This species is now extremely irregular at the site and my last sighting was in November 2005 when six were observed in a field where Lagoon Four now is.  Gerry and I went back into the Sandpiper Hide but Gerry left shortly afterwards and I then found a single Ringed Plover on Island Ten.

I met Terry as I was walking down to Lapwing Hide and he informed me that there was a pair of Smew quite close to the hide and a pair of Scaup more distant towards the Old Hall.

Gerry had joined us and he and I continued onto Lapwing Hide while Terry went to look for a Little Ringed Plover on Lagoon Four.  Gerry found the two Scaup quickly but the pair of Smew were clearly not that close.  As I continued scanning I found the red-headed Smew and then the male, which had obviously gone out further after Terry had seen them and they were both back together before we left the hide.

Gerry had started back before me and I bumped into Erik as I made my way to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.  After a brief chat, he went to look for the Grey Partridge and went into Shoveler Hide.  There was a pair of Shelduck on the lagoon and a pair of Oystercatcher were just to the left of the hide.  A Buzzard was observed over the reedbed woodland and a Curlew circled serval times before coming down on one of the islands.


Curlew


Curlew


Curlew


Curlew


First-winter Common Gull over Lagoon Three

I left Shoveler heading for Dunlin Hide to finish the day off observing the gulls and after a brief chat with Steve and Gerry at the bottom of Sandpiper Hide I continued onto Dunlin Hide.  There were far fewer gulls today and I had only seen a single Black-tailed Godwit when Steve came into the hide.  John Wright then joined us asking if we had seen the Peregrine as it went over flushing all the birds but the birds close to Dunlin hadn’t flushed and we hadn’t seen the Peregrine.  A few minutes later I picked up a Peregrine approaching from the north, which did cause some disturbance but it then just continued south.

With many of the gulls flying off I called it an end to the day and got back to the car just before the heavy rain came.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - March 25, 2017

David, Roger and I were out locally today and we headed off to Eyebrook Reservoir seeing a Red Kite as we were approaching the turning to Slawston.

There was no sign of any Little Owls as we approached the reservoir and there wasn’t any parking at the bridge as birders were out looking for a ring-tailed Hen Harrier that had been reported yesterday afternoon.  We saw a Great White Egret fly off towards Rutland Water as we were driving around to a gate where we could park.  With the water level being so high there was no exposed areas for waders but an Oystercatcher flew over calling but there was little else.  There was a Buzzard perched in a tree on the Leicestershire side and two Red Kites were observed towards Stockerston.


Feeling we had exhausted Eyebrook Reservoir we moved onto the North Arm at Rutland Water and after parking and a quick look in the fishponds produced nothing of note and we moved down to the spit.  David soon found the Slavonian Grebe off the point and it was now pretty much in full summer plumage.  There was a Little Egret and a Great White Egret on the north shore and four female Goosander on the edge of the fishponds.  Malcolm had called to find out where we were and he then joined us on the spit and spent a few minutes looking for the Slavonian Grebe, Great White Egret and Goosanders.  We all then focussed on Burley Wood and there were Red Kites and Buzzards visible almost all the time.  I then picked up a Raven and David found an Osprey and whilst looking for it I had a very distant Sparrowhawk.

Feeling good with what we had seen in the north we moved to the Egleton Reserve and decided to head towards Snipe Hide as Roger was still hoping to see the Whimbrel.  There was a Chiffchaff singing near the end of the woodland behind Lagoon One, which I photographed and we heard at least one other.


Chiffchaff


Chiffchaff

We continued around the path to Snipe Hide but hadn’t seen or heard too much else as we arrived at the hide.  There was very little on the flash today, with four Shelduck being the best.  I then had a brief view of a wader as it was flushed by a Carrion Crow but sadly it dropped out of sight almost immediately but my first impression was Green Sandpiper.  I tried to get a look along the gully from outside the hide but was unable to get a clear view and there was no sign of the bird.

The others had gone onto Harrier Hide and as I approached the hide I could see another pair of Shelduck and a Pintail on the Wet Meadow flash.  When I entered the hide, they had already found the Whimbrel and a Curlew in the normal area but they had both disappeared into the long grass but it wasn’t long before I saw them.  Whilst I was looking at the Whimbrel, Malcom suddenly piped-up saying I've got a drake Garganey and we were all soon watching a superb male in the emergent vegetation and as I continued watching the male I noticed a female nearby.  Something then disturbed all the birds and the Whimbrel flew around calling before flying over the lagoon and dropping on the long island.  As we left the hide we heard the Whimbrel calling and presumably it was in flight and appeared to be returning to its favoured area.

As we walked back towards the centre we saw another Chiffchaff singing from the top of a tree and as we approached the path to Snipe Hide there was a Brimstone butterfly.  Further on we had another Brimstone and a Peacock and learnt that there was another drake Garganey on Lagoon Two.


Chiffchaff


Peacock

David nipped into the centre to put the Garganey at Harrier Hide in the book and managed to see the second drake Garganey but we decided we would have our lunch first and then go and look for it.  Brian and Roger arrived whilst we were having lunch and I was still chatting to Brian when the others set off for the centre.  As I approached the centre Roger was outside on the phone and on getting the viewing area David and Malcolm had seen the Garganey but it had now disappeared.  David was making some noise about a gull on part of the long island but I was more interested in finding the Garganey.  Roger then arrived and shortly afterwards we had both seen the drake Garganey.

I then turned my attention to David’s gull and confirmed that it was the second-winter Caspian Gull I had seen on Lagoon Four on Thursday.  David, Malcolm and Roger were all delighted as it was a year-tick for all of them.  I called Roger Brett to make him aware and he and Brian then joined us in the centre.  After seeing the Caspian Gull, Roger Brett started looking for the Garganey and said there are two males.  When I looked sure enough there were two males side by side and then I noticed a female and presumably the two seen earlier on Lagoon One had joined the other male.  Andy Mackay then arrived and was delighted to see the Caspian Gull but then turned his attention on the Garganey.  We had noticed three Curlew at the back of the lagoon and Brian then managed to find the Whimbrel, which was feeding further to the right.

David, Malcolm, Roger and I then set off for the northern lagoons seeing yet another Chiffchaff on route.  A trip to Lapwing Hide produced just a pair of Scaup and so we returned to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.  Most of the islands had now almost disappeared under water and there was no suitable habitat more most waders but we did find a pair of Oystercatcher and two Snipe just to the right of the hide.

Our intention was to go to Dunlin Hide on Lagoon Four before heading off to Eyebrook Reservoir again in the hope that the Hen Harrier would appear.  There were twenty-three Shelduck and six Pintail on the lagoon and on scanning the area we found a Little Ringed Plover, three Ringed Plover, two Dunlin and four Redshanks.  David who was scanning the gulls said I might have a Mediterranean Gull but by the time we had got on it, it had started roosting.  It was an immature and the head pattern, whilst not clear, did tend to show a mask and didn’t look anything like any of the nearby Black-headed Gulls.  When it did eventually raise its head, confirming its identity, it flew off towards the main water with a flock of other gulls.


First-winter Mediterranean Gull


Pair of Pintail on Lagoon Four

As we were leaving the hide I picked up an Osprey approaching from the south and then landed on the nest on Lagoon Four.  We went back into the hide only to see the nest empty and the Osprey heading off northwest.


Osprey


Osprey

I sent the photos to John Wright as I wondered if it was the male that had attempted to breed on the lagoon last year and had just returned.  However, John identified it as 5N, a female that breeds nearby but is still awaiting the return of her partner.  Apparently, she is usually back first and whilst waiting, tours around hoping to find another male that will feed her and provide some companionship, which the male on Lagoon Four did last year.

We approached Eyebrook Reservoir from the north and parked next to the coral overlooking the inlet.  There was a single Shelduck and three Little Egrets on the eastern shore and a Kestrel to our left.  Whilst waiting I received a text from Colin asking if we had seen the harrier, to which I replied no.  I then noticed that he and Chris were on the Rutland bank and shortly afterwards it became clear they were scoping something.  I then noticed Colin was trying to send a text but he gave up and called me to say they were watching the ring-tailed Hen Harrier quartering over the fields behind us.  The hedge was too high to see into the fields and so we drove around to where Chis was parked.  As I got out of the car I said to Colin is it still showing, yes was his reply but it’s now in the reservoir grounds.  When I looked, it was quartering the ground right in front of the coral, which would have been a superb photo opportunity.  It then flew over the reservoir to our side but then went south before crossing the water again and continuing towards the island and disappearing to the west.  It was only my sixth in the counties and the first at Eyebrook Reservoir, with the others being a wintering ring-tail at Rutland Water in 1977, another ring-tail at the same site in 1982, a third-ringtail at Rutland Water in 2001. a ring-tail at Cossington Meadows in 2002 and a male at Market Bosworth in 2004.  It’s a pity we didn’t stay in the coral but at least we had seen it well and what an end to an excellent day’s birding.

Wednesday 29 March 2017

Stanford Reservoir, Leicestershire/Northamptonshire - March 24, 2017

I was thinking of going to Stanford Reservoir as Malcolm had seen a Long-tailed Duck, six Little Ringed Plover and a Green Sandpiper there this morning and it isn’t too far from home.

David then called to say he was back from Norfolk and we decided we would go.

The reservoir straggles the Leicestershire-Northamptonshire border and although it’s clear that certain parts of the reservoir are in Northamptonshire the boundary is less clear on the main area of water and therefore it is reasonable to record species on the main water as in Leicestershire.  When we arrived, we parked at the inlet and found the water level was extremely low as there is work being carried out on the dam.

We walked along the Northamptonshire side of the reservoir and found twenty-one Little Egrets and a couple of Redshank before we had gone too far and we then found five of the six Little Ringed Plovers and seven female Goosanders just a little further on.  We then reached a large bay that is clearly in Northamptonshire and we scanned the water towards the dam in what was awful light.  We could make out several Goldeneye and I was sure I had the Long-tailed Duck but we couldn’t relocate it.

After some deliberation, we decided we needed to walk around the bay and get closer to the dam to be certain, which was a good walk.  Other than about ten Tree Sparrows and a Bullfinch we hadn’t seen much else when could view the main water in better light.  We found the Long-tailed Duck almost immediately and close to where I thought I had seen it and probably did but at least we were now certain.

We made our way back around the bay but then walked along an old railway line back to the road seeing a Kestrel, circa thirty Fieldfare and five Redwing.  When we finally got back to the car the app on my phone indicated we had walked just under three and a half miles.

Leicester, Leicestershire - March 24, 2017

There had been Waxwings present at Avenue Road School on Clarendon Park Road in Leicester and after going shopping with my wife we called on the way home.  As we approached the school I could see the birds in the top of some trees but as we were turning to park circa thirty flew off to the south-west but there were still some remaining and so after parking I walked along the road to get a better view.  There were still twenty-three left in the trees but after observing them for a couple of minutes they started calling and then flew off in the same direction as the others.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - March 23, 2017

It was overcast with a light north-east wind when I left home and other than a couple of flocks of Fieldfare I had seen very little on route to Eyebrook Reservoir.

There was no sign of the Little Owls today and it was quieter at the bridge as the feeders were virtually empty but I did see four Tree Sparrows and hear a Chiffchaff.  The water was still very high and consequently there were few birds but there was a Little Egret and a Great White Egret near the inlet.

With little at Eyebrook Reservoir I moved onto Rutland Water and headed for Dickinson’s Bay where I was hoping to find the wintering grebes.  There was a Chiffchaff singing when I got out of the car but it remained elusive but I did find another as I walked down to view from Dickinson’s Bay.  There were a few Goldeneye in the North Arm and a single Shelduck and Little Egret were on the spit on the far side of the bay but there was no sign of the grebes.

With no sign of the grebes I went to the Old Hall and after parking walked to the far side to see if I could find the Red-necked Grebe.  The sun was beginning to come out and so I had to walk a good way towards Hambleton Wood to get decent views but like the other grebes there was no sign of the Red-necked Grebe.  Roger had called and I agreed to meet him in the North Arm but as I walked back I heard a Nuthatch and a Tawny Owl and saw and photographed a Treecreeper.


Treecreeper


Treecreeper


Treecreeper


Treecreeper

I had a final look for the Red-necked Grebe in South Arm Three but again there was no sign and so I went to join Roger in the North Arm.  Roger was watching something on the far shore when I reached him and he suspected it was one of the Slavonian Grebes.  He soon got me onto the bird but the freshening wind was causing some disturbance of the water, making it difficult to see well but we eventually were both satisfied that it was a Slavonian Grebe moulting into summer plumage.  We then found a single female Goosander on the edge of the fishponds and a Little Egret on the north shore.  We both then locked onto a party of five swans there were swimming in a line that turned out to be Whooper Swans.  As we scanned Burley Wood we had three Red Kites and three Buzzards soring and displaying over the wood.

When we got back to the car we had five Oystercatcher flying around and I thought I heard the Whooper Swans calling and when we looked we couldn’t see them but a few minutes later they flew over heading west.


Whooper Swans


Whooper Swan


Whooper Swans


Whooper Swans


Whooper Swans

We moved to the Egleton Reserve and walked to Harrier Hide where we were hoping to find the over wintering Whimbrel.  There was no sign of any Whimbrel or any Curlew in the area they normally feed and all we saw was another three of Shelduck on the second flash on the Wet Meadow and a couple of Little Egrets.


Grey Heron over Lagoon One


Little Egret from Harrier Hide


Shoveler over Lagoon One

With no sign of the Whimbrel we decided to go to Fieldfare Hide in the hope that it might be there but there was no sign and all we had were a few Teal and Mallard.  As we walked back we had a Comma between Fieldfare and Harrier Hides and calling at Snipe Hide on the Wet Meadow we found four more Shelduck and a Pintail and a single Curlew between the hide and Lagoon One.


Drake Teal


Female Teal


Male Mallard

We called at Mallard Hide in the hope that we might find the Whimbrel with the Curlew but we couldn’t even found the Curlew and went back to the car park for lunch.

A visit to Grebe Hide on Lagoon Two produced two Oystercatcher and the Black-tailed Godwit, which I had seen there on Tuesday.  From Grebe Hide we continued to Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four and found twenty-one Shelduck and five Pintail.  Scanning the islands there we located five Oystercatchers, two Ringed Plovers, four Dunlin and four Redshanks.  The five Whooper Swans we had seen earlier were now on Lagoon Four but rather distant and whilst earlier we had assumed they were all adults as they had yellow bills, we were now not so confident.  They were only visible intermittently but some a least were a little dusky looking and the yellow bills looked a little washed-out and presumably some were immatures but they eventually appeared to start to roost and so we set off for Lapwing Hide.

We called in Crake Hide on route and found a pair of Red-crested Pochard and on reaching Lapwing Hide we found at least six Sand Martins feeding around the poplars on the far shore and there was also a pair of distant Scaup.

With no sign of anything else of note from Lapwing Hide we made our way back to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three where we found four Shelduck, three Pintail and two Oystercatchers.  Lloyd and Andy then appeared on the edge of the reedbed and managed to flush a couple of Snipe.

Roger then called it a day and I decided to go to Dunlin Hide to hopefully get a better view of the Whooper Swans.  On reaching the hide I found John Wright who was observing the gulls, which were quite close again.  We had a chat about the Whooper Swan and eventually I got a better view and was able to establish that there were two adults and three juveniles.


Whooper Swans on Lagoon Four

John had seen a second-winter Caspian Gull earlier but unfortunately it had flown off towards the main water.  There were quite a few gulls present, mainly Black-headed and Common but also a few Lesser Black-backed and as I was scanning through them cried John there’s a white-winged gull just dropped in.  He provided directions as I looked at it I thought it didn’t look quite right when John said it’s not a white-winged its looks more like a Herring Gull.  It was quite a striking bird and when in flight it was easy to see why John initially thought it was a white-winged gull but on the ground the structure was totally wrong.  It stayed close for quite some time allowing me to get some nice shots of it, both on the ground and in flight.


Possible Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid


Possible Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid


Possible Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid


Possible Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid


Possible Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid

After watching the possible hybrid for a while it flew further away and towards the Volunteer’s Centre but shortly afterwards John announced that the Caspian Gull was back and after having some initial problems finding it saw it well both on the ground and in flight.


Second-winter Caspian Gull


Second-winter Caspian Gull


Second-winter Caspian Gull


Second-winter Caspian Gull


Second-winter Caspian Gull


Second-winter Caspian Gull

I eventually called it a day and headed back to the car park and set off home.  As I approached Preston and Sparrowhawk flew over the road and Red Kite was soaring just beyond and then I had a Kestrel at Tugby and another along with a Buzzard as I was approaching Great Glen.