What a 'HOBBY' this is..

August..Is Wader-Time...Here in the north, We have two superb reserves for watching waders, Leighton moss in the west, and Blacktoft Sands, in the East. Blacktoft Sands is the second best wader reserve in the country (Minsmere has attracted one more species). First trip to the Wardens office for the upto the minute news. Great! plenty of waders are about. From here we check the hides out on the west. First hide and it is apparent that the Snipe have come out of hiding. Good numbers of godwits too. A scan of the bins along the fringes of the reedbeds, I find 3 Green Sandpipers. The next hide is the main hide for the waders, At the far side, a group of 10 Spotted Redshanks show off the lovely plumage, Ruff show there weird variations of plumage. Also seen Dunlin, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Grey Heron, A single Little Stint, Greenshank, Redshank, Little Egret. A nice selection of waders in anyones book. Marsh Harriers, Barn Owl, as support acts. But the bird of the day was a Hobby, that flew towards us from along away, right over our heads, clearly showing it's streaked under belly, and red trousers. Hobby is a falcon I haven't seen this Millennium.
Total 146.

Pennington Flash

The last time I was here, I think was February. Since then I have missed a few birds. This week saw a Red-Necked Phalarope, This morning a Mediteranean Gull. All gone now of course. So I have chosen to get a long staying and some times very confiding Garganey Duck. Just as I get to the area of water where it frequents, the heavens open and I didn't give it the time it deserved. In the brief time I was there though, I watched as a Great Crested Grebe struggled to swallow a small Pike of about 6 inches. A predator eating a predator. As all the ducks stuck there heads under their wings, to protect their heads from getting a soaking. (bit odd, don't you think? There they are floating on a lake, and they don't wish to get a soaking from the rain..must be just me to think this!!), All I see a floating backsides. One floating backside I notice, has a stiff-tail pointing up, and that duck could only belong to a Ruddy Duck, (species 159 on the list). Another bird resembled a large ball of black and white cotton.. A Black necked grebe, now in it's winter finery.
From the shelter of the 'NEW' hide, a pair of Green Sandpipers, and 13 Grey Herons, and plenty of wildfowl of different species completed a worthy trip.
Next week: I have booked on a 4 hour Sea cruise from Bridlington. I hate this trip. I was not meant for sailing. Last year the trip was cancelled due to bad weather - my prayers where answered then, but they are not always answered.

Wader Seasons begins..

August for me is when the wader season really begins. Waders begin showing up anywhere, any many times they are often accompanied with rarities.
Fairburn Ings SE4527:this weekend had a Great White Egret. This, the largest of the Egrets, and is getting more and more common to Britain each year. Once this was ticked, it’s off too..
Blacktoft Sands SE843232: Reports of many species of waders here. So pencil sharpened, book at the ready. Ousefleet and Marshide are the ones to be in. Greenshank, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Grey Heron, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Ruff, and Snipe, phew. That’s 15 species. Can’t be bad! And there was the residents as support cast, Bearded Tits, Yellow Wagtails, Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, Buzzard and more. You should be able to get about 50 species.
August is the best time to get Butterflies and Dragonflies too.
An excellent day out, and some good pictures taken. Looking forward to next week already for some rare waders. Ciao.