Folly Pond Finds
Sunday afternoon. Warm but breezy. I have been sat inside all day, working away at my desk, waiting for the moment when I am able to head outside.
It comes about three o’clock. It’s been quiet all morning and I’ve finished all the jobs I had on my list. Armed with the camera and a pair of binos, I pull on my jacket and head out.
Hoping to spot the green sandpiper or ruff that have been seen around recently, I head down to the Folly Pond. Lots of waders that don't spend the winter or breeding season here drop in on their migration to other places. It is ideal for them as a wetland provides lots of areas for finding food to regain their energy before getting back on their way.
The path follows the wall of the tractor barn and on the other side is a bank covered in trees. In the gloom, I meander along, running my fingers through the leaves, admiring the blackberries that are ripening (a sure sign that autumn is on its way, if the change in the weather wasn’t enough!).
No one is in the hide when I arrive – my favourite way for it to be – and I take a seat on the left looking out over the pond. The window creaks open and I settle in with my binoculars. There is large group of lapwing, probably 60 or so, feeding and preening. They look glorious with the sun shining down on them, their iridescent green feathers glinting, their elegant crests bobbing in the wind.
There are no sandpipers or ruffs that I can see and I am about to step away, satisfied but not awed, knowing my penchant for being impatient will be my downfall as a newly minted birder. Just as I stand up to gather my things, a group of curlew drop out of the sky. Nineteen of them come in from the north side of the pond. They skid to a stop in the water and join the lapwing in their business. I notice and can identify them immediately by their distinctively curved bill. They dwarf the lapwing and don’t seem to enjoy sharing the pond with them, squaring up and forcing the lapwing to back away and give them more space.
I admire them for a while, but am soon obliged to leave them to it, called back to the visitor centre.
Feature image of curlew and lapwing on the Folly Pond
Words and images by Marianne Nicholson
