Viaduct -far east end of site.18:30 > 20:00
18c cloud then fine warm sunny evening with rain holding off, just (see 'storm' below)
Entering the site from the Haversham end this evening I was somewhat suprised to three grown men shoes and socks off, paddling under the viaduct. Not to much sun or one too many in the Greyhound, they were fishing by hand it seems for Signal Crayfish that can often be seen in the shallows here.
Along the path between the silt beds and the gravel mounds after the heavier rain earlier in the day the number of large light brown and and almost orange in some cases 'Black Slug' was also noticable. Not a true black one in sight but a few dozen of their different coloured brethern.
As for the birds well the inlet was once again the centre of activity with five Green Sandpipers, a lone Common Sandpiper but more noticably three female Teal, new arrivals to the site.
Along the pollarded Willows of Back Brook a Little Owl was flushed whilst a Common Buzzard once again roosted in the trees at the bottom of central field. Late in the evening a single Barnacle Goose, no doubt of dubious origin, flew in and honked till the one hundred or so resident Canadian flock joined it on the water.
The weather was the real star tonight though. Standing on the ridge above the valley in warm evening sunshine on my way home it was somewhat surreal stopping to watch the dense black mass of a huge thuder storm, with a quite impressive lightshow to boot, off in the distance over Northampton.
Links:
Signal Crayfish - The Telegraph
Teal - Birdguides
Teal - BTO
Teal - Wiki
Teal - RSPB
This time last year - Dunlin
No comments:
Post a Comment