Friday 8th July 2011 - Afternoon

The Ouse



14:00 > 15:30
Cloud, odd break of sun, stromg SW wind.

A walk around the site from the farm buildings along the Ouse and out at the Haversham end was again more a visit of hope rather than expectation but a couple of notable sightings were made.

Star of the day was a juvenile Common Cuckoo along Back Brook and given how ungainly it and taking into account the conditions it looked like it was making its first few flights. Heading up from the rough vegatation opposite the 'two spits' at first I thought a bird of prey, possibly a Hobby but as it hung on for dear life in the strong wind in one of the willows there was time to get the bins on it to confirm the ID, the white nape giving the clear sign it was a youngster. In the end it settled on a fence post for a while before dropping back down to where it came. Its an area where there have been a few Common Whitethroat and a couple of Reed Warbler nesting so take your choice at parentage, probably the latter.

The other notable was suprisingly early single Common Snipe up and over and away. Other waders included the ever adventurous Little Ringed Plover youngsters and a smattering of adults and the same could be said of Lapwing. A single Green Sandpiper was also darting about as were three unsettled Little Egrets.

Yellow Wagtails were seen along the shoreline as were the three juvenile Common Terns, not attempting too much given the conditions today. Four adults fished (with little success) as if educating.

Gull numbers are building with over 100 Black Headed Gulls split into two groups on the site. 30 were found clustered together on the shoreling while a further 80 were found on the newly dug areas. A single Lesser Black-backed Gull was the first in a while.

On leaving a Hobby (a real one this time) swooped through the site putting the wind up a Kestrel hovering over the site eyeing up the ever increasing charm of Goldfinches attracted by the multitude of thistle heads blanketing large chunks of the site.