Sanderling and Black Tern

Draycote Water was on the boil for a change with a party of 7 Dunlin flying past us on our arrival followed by a Sanderling 15 minutes later which went straight through. Out in the centre a moulting adult Black Tern joined the 7 Common Tern which included a juvenile with a metal ring on right leg and lacking any coloured bands that the other 2 juveniles present have. At least 5 Little Egret on the north shore with 3 Biggen Bay and 2 in toft bay by the time we left and also seen were 62 Mute Swan, 10 Lapwing, 9 Grey Heron, juvenile Whitethroat, 2 adult Yellow-legged Gull and juvenile Grey Wagtail. Napton on the Hill was also productive with adult Lesser Whitethroat, many juvenile Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers present, good numbers of hirundine feeding overhead plus one lone Swift, 3 Buzzard, 2 Raven, and a Sparrowhawk. The “gully” still has the Redstart but we left it well alone concentrating on the hedgerows hoping to find other migrants.