Friday 23 April 2010

Friday 23rd April - Afternoon

14:30 > 16:30

A good wander around the perimeter. Greeted by a pair of Common Buzzard and fleetingly an Oystercatcher overhead. Out on the water, or what remain of it, the Little Ringed Plovers and Green Sandpipers remain as do the pair of slumbering Common Shelduck, leaving the Gadwall pair alone for once. Highlight of the day though was not one but two Blue Headed Wagtails.

Alerted by Rob Hills sighting yesterday and it being a bird that had not really occurred to me before I don't know how I missed amongst what must be around fifty Yellow Wagtails around the site. In with around twenty Yellows in the centre they were easy to pick out once you knew what you were looking for and I can only put it down to ignorance that I'd not seen the wood for the trees before. One a very standard blue head and the second a light more grey headed bird, almost a 'Channel'. (see I'm an expert already!).

Other birds of note a single Common Sandpiper hugging the eastern banking whilst a single Common Redshank was wading along the side of the last patch of deep(ish) water. On the silt beds a pair of Tufted Duck look well settled whilst a Common Gull low over was a suprise. four Lapwing looked pristine in the afternoon sun alongside a single Little Egret.

On the butterfly front Orange Tip were in abundance, especially along the river bank.

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