Wednesday 3 May 2017

Black Redstart at the Obs

Another good spring day. Spent most of today working on the south lake with Tomos and the guys clearing willows and excess irises in the wet grassland area. Nice working with 30+ Swallows hawking low over the water.

After work I had a lightning tour of the farmlands on my bike and notched up an impressive eight species of waders and some migrants: 2 Dunlin, 5 LRP, 1 Snipe, 1 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 8 Lapwing, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, 1 Pochard, 1 1st s Caspian Gull, 1 Wheatear, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 5 Sedge Warbler. 

I got home and Roger popped over. We were chatting by the obs window when I noticed a bird on the fence in the obs garden- a Black Redstart- a second calender year male? (females never show the white wing panel?) . A mini-twitch ensued with Frankie and Kojak coming over for a Beddington tick. A very rare patch bird, the first one I've seen in years and another one to add to the list of finds from the window: BIRDS FROM THE WINDOW  



 Black Redstart
 Dunlin (presumably schinzii) . Interesting variation in plumage in these two individuals. 
 Greenshank 
 Little Ringed Plover- one of five today 
 First-summer Caspian Gull- at least two birds around at the moment. Also the Glaucous Gull seen today and Iceland presumably still around too. 
View over the north lake with phacelia and lindseed in foreground 

1 comment:

Peter Alfrey said...

lol! They do like areas of devastation.