Well at least it stayed dry

After yesterday’s wash out it was back to the normal routine today.....unfortunately with the normal return.

The day started with a wander around the estate. All we found were a few of the common warblers – chiffs, willow warblers, common whitethroat, blackcap and a lone lesser whitethroat and these were confined to just a few sheltered spots with most being seen along the Haven Stream. A check of the paddocks south of the sailing club revealed......absolutely nothing; the only wheatear being on the turf field close to Restharrow scrape.

The scrape itself had the 3 ruff plus a lone little ringed plover.

Dragonflies were, for this year, quite numerous especially common darters and migrant hawkers; the camera coming out for this one which posed in the sun by the entrance to the Elms.

Migrant Hawker

After a coffee I went down to Backsand. I know the tides were all wrong high tide being around 8.00 (I think) but I don’t think the weather is that great for the next few days so today it had to be.

I arrived at around midday and there wasn’t much about just 2 common sands and 2 greenshank but after a few minutes 8 dunlin plus something else flew around the scrape for a few minutes before the dunlin landed and the something else disappeared - which was a bit annoying. The dunlin stayed pretty distant though a few of them came a little closer.

Dunlin

A little later the greenshank numbers rose to a lofty 4, a green sandpiper turned up and around 1.00pm 2 spotted redshank appeared but quickly slipped off behind one of the islands never to be seen again – I can only assume they went to sleep because I’m sure they didn’t fly out.

Greenshank

Also on the scrape were 4 little grebes, the 2 young tufties, one of which is acquiring a very white face, 2 little egrets and an avocet.

I gave up about 2.00 but stopped off at Restharrow on the way home – the 3 ruff were still there as was the LRP but now a greenshank and green sand had joined them.

As I was leaving Martyn Wilson  arrived at the scrape and whilst we had a chin wag a hobby flew across the turf field – the last of the year?