Black-necked Grebes

When we arrived at the pond we were too late to see the Yellow Wagtails and Little Gull adult that Keith Yates had seen but as we all walked together Bob spotted 2 summer plumage Black-necked Grebes but alas after an hour of being pushed around by fishing and sailing boats they could not be re-located and presumed to have left. A few migrants arrived overnight with 2 male Wheatear, Common Sandpiper and Whitethroat but by mid-day the place was heaving with Joe public and their little dears so took to the top field of the country park and spent an hour watching out for any visible migration managing 6 Yellow Wagtail 5 Swallow bringing todays total to a paltry nine and a single House Martin going over. A few Buzzard noted so the final day tally was 12. Only other bird of note was 2 Treecreeper.

Should have been gardening in the afternoon but decided to forgo a Britain in Bloom award for 2 hours of sky watching. Only birds of note apart from my local Buzzards were 2 Swallow heading north.

Last night’s 20:59hrs pass of the ISS (Zarya) went right overhead and tonight’s pass at 20:11hrs will not be far off for me and the tracking has it coming in over Mildford Haven passing just north of Oxford, then leaving our coast over Clacton on Sea before heading in to Europe over Holland finally going out of view over Ukraine