Lesser Spot, Grey Plover and a pair of TWATS

My stroll to toft shallows turned out to be more productive than expected and certainly made up for the bollocks of a visit yesterday. Four Grey Wagtail were along farborough and toft bank while 2 more were in toft shallow pool (Bob had a further 12 on his circuit and even considering some double counting he certainly beat my best day total of nine easily). Only other birds noted on our walk was a fly by Dunlin, Little egret and Yellow-legged Gull. As we approached the hide we checked the exposed mud amongst the north shore vegetation and this time rewarded with adult Water Rail sulking out in the open before disappearing – first of the autumn so let’s hope it stays the winter though it may be some time before there’s water under the board walk. While Bob continued his walk I spent 30 minutes under the canopy of toft shallow pool where a large tit flock contained 16 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest and a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker which stayed a few seconds before flying in to the copse near Toft Manor. As I returned to the visitor centre 2 House Martin were over the old windmill at Thurlaston and a winter plumage Grey Plover flew over from the north calling before deciding to head east down the Grandborough valley. Also seen were 103 Greylag which is not to be sneezed at in patch terms, 15 Skylark, 30+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Raven and 2 Buzzard.

Unfortunately even with 600 acres of water to fish in these twats beggared belief and tried to get round the ban on fishing from the damn walls and not bothered what they flushed, soon scarped when they realised they were being photographed. Should have stoned um instead – they would bloody moan if we stood birding in front of them.