Tuesday 25 August 2015

A scattering of chats

Lade - cool, sunny, sw 2 - 0600hrs - We made the most of the early morning weather conditions with a tour of the local patch and straight away it was apparent there`d been a fall of chats with a couple of Wheatears and Stonechats at the bottom of Taylor Road. Criss-crossing the Desert and storm ridges eventually delivered a tally of 10 Wheatears, 4 Stonechats and 3 Whinchats; up to 10 Common Whitethroats were also in the mix, while Barney flushed two Snipe from Mockmill Sewer. Around the Willow Swamp a handful of Willow and Reed Warblers, Robins and tits noted, plus 100 Sand Martins and 20 Swifts over south lake and 2 Whimbrels over calling.
As is often the case when there`s a break in weather fronts, raptors were out in force taking advantage of the calm to hunt following another wet night. Four different Marsh Harriers quartered the rough ground behind the `mirrors` along with 2 Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk and Buzzard.
ARC - 1200hrs - The distant cormorant island once again proved attractive to feeding waders with yesterdays Temminck`s Stint still present alongside a Little Stint, 3 Dunlin, 2 Ruff and a Common Sandpiper. Elsewhere, 3 Wood Sandpipers, 2 more Ruff, 2 LRPs, Redshank, a mixed flock of 150 Golden Plovers and Lapwings, 2 Black Terns, Garganey and Pintail.
And then the rain and gale force winds hit the peninsula...

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