Monday 19 September 2011

Hard Work Again

I can’t help but think that I’m getting little reward for the time put in patch watching; twitching is getting more attractive by the day. If only petrol wasn’t so expensive.
Today was like the last few days – a lot of chiffchaffs around the estate but little else; just a few wheatears and whinchats. The highlight of the morning walk  the morning walk was the 30 grey partridge charging around on the turf field adjacent to Restharrow scrape. The lowlight was discussing England performance in the rugby – they’ve got to be better than that........haven’t they?
On the scrape were a little ringed plover, a little stint, 2 dunlin and a green sandpiper.
In the afternoon I walked down to Backsand so as to be there for the high tide (which isn’t very high at the moment).
When I arrived it was dire just 1 greenshank, 1 green  and 1 common sandpiper but as high tide approached a few more waders came in with the final counts being 6 greenshank, 4 green sands, 1 common sand and 28 redshank.

Green Sandpiper
When the redshank arrived they dropped in quite close to the spider hide and allowed a group shot before disappearing to the far side of the scrape.
Redshank
Whilst waiting for the high tide a kingfisher alighted on one of the sticks but too distant to photograph and one of the young tufted ducks swam past the hide.
Tufted Duck
The most unexpected count however were the little grebes. I always have trouble arriving at a final number for little grebes because they are never all on the surface together. Well today I had got to 5 quite quickly but over the next half hour  managed to convince myself there were 7 so when they were grouped together I fired off a few shots. In one of the shots there were actually 8 of the little beasties though the shot attached only shows 7 of the 8 as the other was to far to the right to include.
Little Grebes

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