Garganey, Avocet & Dotted Chestnut

In comparison to Sunday Draycote was tranquil on our arrival this morning with no one around and very light easterly wind resulting in 50+ Sand Martin feeding low over farborough bank despite the zero temperatures with one House Martin among them. The Long-tailed Duck was easily located out in the centre but as hard as we tried we failed to see the Great-northern Diver though it was present yesterday. At least 14 Snipe had been frozen off the scrape and were attempting to hide amongst the grass tussocks before flying back in to the scrape as it thawed. Toft shallows had 3 Chiffchaff and the Water Rail with a distant Blackcap calling though the best sighting was a pair of Garganey that flew over the tree tops and around toft bay before leaving to the south east after being flushed by fishing boats. Three Shelduck suffered the same fate after arriving early after being moved being moved by boats for the third time they scarpered off east. By the time we returned to the car park the wind had freshened and was coming from the south east but there very few Sand Martins left. Other sightings included 11 Goldeneye, 12 Shoveler (10 arrived 09.00hrs) 4 Gadwall, Long-tailed Tit and Buzzard.

Thanks to Keith, John and Mike for news of 2 Avocet on East marsh Pools, Brandon Marsh so well worth a trip over. Also seen were Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Cetties Warbler, Nuthatch and Shelduck.

Good passage of Fieldfare, smaller number of Redwing and Starlings flying east over Napton on the Hill on Sunday morning. Also 6 Buzzard, Raven and 3 Mistle Thrush noted.

Since Dave rocked the county mothing world in re-discovering Dotted Chestnut in2006 in his garden trap after it was thought to be extinct in the county he has been trapping the odd one now and again. The bugger did it again with his sixth record in eight years with one over the weekend. Bob not around so down to me for a record shot.