Spent the day with Dave on the Ouse Washes where
unfortunately the breeding season seriously effected by summer flooding but the
RSPB reserve has now become a hive of activity in recent weeks as water levels
rescinds just as migration starts to picks up. Probably a couple of thousand
duck of the more commoner species present but also contained at least 29
Garganey along with a few wader species mixed in as well with 64 Ruff, 28
Dunlin, 25 Greenshank, 36 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 15 Snipe and
4 Redshank noted. On top of this we counted at least 100 Little Egret so we
were in bird fest mode compared to what we having been counting locally recently.
It took two hours before the juvenile Glossy Ibis decided to creep out from its
hiding place us in front of the Grose hide and then showed really well but the
Purple Heron that was also present did not appear till long after we left.
Also present were 5 Marsh Harrier, 5 Kingfisher, 14 Yellow
Wagtail, 2 Turtle Dove, Shelduck, Common Tern, Reed & Sedge Warbler and a Sparrowhawk.
Moved down the Ouse Wash to the Welney Wildfowl and Wetland
Reserve where we had lunch over looking Lady Fen watching 3 Crane and 10 Egyptian
Geese feeding but the reserve its self was quiet with 20 Little Egret but no
sign of the Spoonbill reported earlier in the day. Hundreds of darters were on
the wing. At the beginning of the day we had a Fox cross in front of us near
Lilbourne, Barn Owl near Kettering and 2 Red Kite near Oundle.
On the mothing front Dave trapped a Dotted Clay last
Wednesday which we did not expect and took a while to identify followed by
another on Friday night just to rub it in, that brings his macro list to 319.
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