A fine few hours at Marshside this morning, started off down at Hesketh Rd, where Mad Dog Bannon was showing as well as the drake Garganey on the pool there, before both disappeared – the former off dog-walking, the latter steaming across the water and into the reeds by the SSSI ditch.
Sedge and Reed Warblers and Whitethroats were defying the strong wind to keep on singing from the roadside scrub there before I headed up to Nels to join Bazzo, Neill and Trops.
Large numbers of Swifts forced down low by the cooler conditions – trying (and failing) to digiscope ’em made a frustrating diversion from checking through the Dunlin horde.
2-300 Dunlin at least with three Curlew Sands, Ringed Plover, Blackwit and Avocets, but it was hard grilling them as they scurried through the grasses.
We all had a good drool over the new love of Trop’s life though, his huge lickety-split new Swaro, which I believe cost ten times the national debt of Greece and is substantially more fun than putting up fencing…
I love the photos of the Garganey. Was delighted to see a pair at Carr Lane Pools last week. Trops looks even more delighted with his scope!
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Can’t beat a nice Gargelly.
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I had a visit to RSPB Coombes Valley on Friday.
Highlight was the pair of Spotted Flycatchers. It’s been several years since I seen one in the UK.
Also seen the following
4 x Garden Warbler
1 x Whitethroat
Several Willow Warblers, Blackcap and Chiffchaffs
1 Pied Flycatcher
2 adult Grey Wagtails feeding a fledged youngster
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