Tuesday 5 June 2012

Holiday Monday Sandwich


 


Braving a cold strong north easterly with lots of squalid showers, Chiddy and I made the best of a bad day to bird the circuit. The Ramp was quiet except the Whitethroat holding territory in the surrounding bushes and 2 drake Wigeon on the pool oh, and a Mallard with 4 ducklings. We took shelter in Harrison’s Drove hide with very little to look at but 3 Whimbrel flew in after we been there an hour and during a break in the rain we checked the other pools along the drove whilst getting better views of the Whimbrel. Six Ringed Plovers flew past as we returned to the hide and then we moved on to the river and down to the Water Meadows where there were. 5 Greenshank, 3 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Redshank. Next stop was the Lake Tower hide at Stodmarsh where we had to stay some considerable time during some heavy downpours. While in the hide we had a small passage of Common Terns with a 17, an 8, a 4 then a 6 and in between Chiddy picked out a Sandwich Tern. This being the second Sandwich Tern in 9 days, a good record for this very scarce valley species. Lots of Swallows, Martins and Swifts were feeding low over the lake and over the Lampen Wall and 4 Marsh Harriers were encountered throughout the morning. Joined by Brendan looking for the Sarnie, who carried on the opposite way to us when the rain cleared.  A single Hobby was over the Alder Wood, the male Bittern was booming intermittently while another flew from Grove to Stodmarsh whilst we were again chatting with Brendan as we passed near Middle Drove where he had been Joined by Phil Chantler. Apart from a few Ducks there was a Little Grebe From Marsh hide where we also saw the 5 Greenshank plus, 3 Redshank and a Common Sandpiper was from the Ramp before we departed.