The last few days has been very productive as to catching up on summer migrants.
The Ring Ouzel I found at Ravenstone Sewage Works had stuck around and had drawn in birders from all around. This proved very useful as the extra pairs of eyes had found a very smart male Redstart at this site on Monday which I managed to get down to see.
The Wheatear total rose to 7, more Yellow Wagtails were seen and another Ring Ouzel appeared briefly.
On Wednesday afternoon it rained heavily so I set off on a twitch to a place called Willow Tree Fen, near Spalding in Lincolnshire.
A Black-winged Stilt had been making it's way slowly across country, stopping off in Oxfordshire, Rutland and now Lincolnshire. I had seen this species in England before, but Sammy the long staying bird at Titchwell was rumoured to be an escape from nearby Pensthorpe, so I thought I ought to make sure I had seen a genuine wild bird.
It wasn't a lot of fun driving through the rain, but after an hour and a half I arrived at this very bleak out of the way reserve.
There were 4 other birders just leaving who kindly pointed out the general direction of the bird, which was stood in some flooded pools about 200 yards from the track. I stood watching for some 20 minutes or so and this creature hardly moved in all that time. My viewing was cut short though as the heavens opened again and I beat a hasty retreat.
A real shame, such a lovely bird, so far away, barely active and then the viewing time was limited.
Thursday morning saw me back at Willen where I saw my first Reed Warbler and Sedge Warblers of the year. The spit held a couple of Little-ringed Plovers, an Oystercatcher and the now usual Barnacle Goose.
On South Lake 3 Waders on the ski-tow boardwalk rose my excitement for a while but these turned out to be only Redshanks. There were a couple of dozen Common Terns on the lake and it was while looking at the Redshanks I noticed one of the Terns sitting right in front of them was shorter necked, had noticeably shorter legs and much longer tail streamers - an Arctic Tern !
A bird I also stumbled upon was this tired looking White Wagtail.
The Ring Ouzel I found at Ravenstone Sewage Works had stuck around and had drawn in birders from all around. This proved very useful as the extra pairs of eyes had found a very smart male Redstart at this site on Monday which I managed to get down to see.
The Wheatear total rose to 7, more Yellow Wagtails were seen and another Ring Ouzel appeared briefly.
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| male Wheatear |
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| female Wheatear |
On Wednesday afternoon it rained heavily so I set off on a twitch to a place called Willow Tree Fen, near Spalding in Lincolnshire.
A Black-winged Stilt had been making it's way slowly across country, stopping off in Oxfordshire, Rutland and now Lincolnshire. I had seen this species in England before, but Sammy the long staying bird at Titchwell was rumoured to be an escape from nearby Pensthorpe, so I thought I ought to make sure I had seen a genuine wild bird.
It wasn't a lot of fun driving through the rain, but after an hour and a half I arrived at this very bleak out of the way reserve.
There were 4 other birders just leaving who kindly pointed out the general direction of the bird, which was stood in some flooded pools about 200 yards from the track. I stood watching for some 20 minutes or so and this creature hardly moved in all that time. My viewing was cut short though as the heavens opened again and I beat a hasty retreat.
A real shame, such a lovely bird, so far away, barely active and then the viewing time was limited.
Thursday morning saw me back at Willen where I saw my first Reed Warbler and Sedge Warblers of the year. The spit held a couple of Little-ringed Plovers, an Oystercatcher and the now usual Barnacle Goose.
On South Lake 3 Waders on the ski-tow boardwalk rose my excitement for a while but these turned out to be only Redshanks. There were a couple of dozen Common Terns on the lake and it was while looking at the Redshanks I noticed one of the Terns sitting right in front of them was shorter necked, had noticeably shorter legs and much longer tail streamers - an Arctic Tern !
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| A very distant photo of the Redshanks with the Arctic Tern sitting in front of them (definitely one of them photos you have to click on) |
A bird I also stumbled upon was this tired looking White Wagtail.
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| White Wagtail |
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