string boozel
Well-known member
Grey clouds and a chilly wind meant that today had the feel of a March rather than a May Day. In an attempt to catch up with some of the waders that have been passing through the county recently I took a bus over to Earls Barton hoping that Summer Leys had a few stragglers hanging on. A Yellow Wag passing over Mill Lane was my first decent bird and there was the usual Cetti's singing near to the lock. Large numbers of hirundines were feeding low over the water with a good number, perhaps sixty or more, of Swifts keeping them company.
At Mary's Lake a lone Black Tern was feeding with the many Commons, always distant but a stunner nonetheless. From the screen I found a Common Sandpiper and a couple of Redshanks while there were a few more of the latter on the scrape. Looking back over the main lake from Pioneer Hide an immature Turnstone, a Wood Sand and another Common Sand as well as six rather natty summer plumaged Dunlins were seen.
Leaving the reserve the quiet was disturbed by the roar of two low flying Apache helicopters, noisy but rather exciting. Rather less exciting perhaps was a distant Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling from Earls Barton Lock.
I've included a picture of a rare subspecies of Common Tern, the Left Tern. (sorry).
James.
At Mary's Lake a lone Black Tern was feeding with the many Commons, always distant but a stunner nonetheless. From the screen I found a Common Sandpiper and a couple of Redshanks while there were a few more of the latter on the scrape. Looking back over the main lake from Pioneer Hide an immature Turnstone, a Wood Sand and another Common Sand as well as six rather natty summer plumaged Dunlins were seen.
Leaving the reserve the quiet was disturbed by the roar of two low flying Apache helicopters, noisy but rather exciting. Rather less exciting perhaps was a distant Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling from Earls Barton Lock.
I've included a picture of a rare subspecies of Common Tern, the Left Tern. (sorry).
James.