Yellow Wagtails & Garganey
A fantastic count of 20 Yellow Wagtails on the reserve this morning in amongst the Cattle, also a juv along Curlew Lane early morning. A fem/juv Garganey was among 200+ Teal out from Ron Barker Hide, plenty of Shoveler also and 1 resident Whooper Swan.
The Black-tailed Godwit fest continues with c2500 still spread around the reserve, also 5 Greenshank late afternoon on the Mere showing well along with 20+ Ruff including a few buffy juveniles, at least 6 Green Sandpiper (4 from Hale Hide), good numbers of Snipe, 500+ Lapwing, 1 Dunlin and 3 Avocet.
A 1st sum/2nd cal year Hobby showed well just before midday over fields at the back of the Mere and shortly after a juv Cuckoo put in an appearance around the edge of the Mere, perching up for a few minutes before taking flight across the Mere and causing the Lapwings and Gulls to take flight fearing it was a Falcon of some description.
On Saturday a Willow Tit was being seen on the feeders at Janet Kear also a few sightings of Hobby and a couple of Raven including one that dropped into the trees by the Grounds Wardens house and flew out moments later carrying what appeared to be an egg and was then followed closely by a Carrion Crow.
