A bit of a fragmented day in the field with a few car issues needing to be sorted mid morning. The day began well as Dee and I walked along the west-side to the marina car park, when a calling Tree Pipit flew over heading south. After seeing Dee off to work I began by spending a few hours at Draycote Water in the company of Bob Hazell and Keith Foster. The usual passage of Skylark overhead with plenty of Meadow Pipit and at least one Rock Pipit, a single Wheatear and a couple of Grey Wagtails other notables.
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| Great Skua - Canon SX50 on full digital! Bob took better ones later! http://cymbelinelister.blogspot.co.uk/ |
I'd only planned to go as far as the hide and back along Farborough Bank, but a phone call to Bob from Tim Marlow had us doubling back to Farborough Spit for a Great Skua. Distant views on the water with a short flight and argument with a few other Gulls, plus a fly-by Dunlin was the best I managed before heading off.
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| Common Gull |
Napton reservoir next and here there's a good deal of mud still showing, (8) Snipe and an autumnal influx of (23) Common Gull on the water, several at the marina too. Wildfowl included the usual Coot-fest, (2) Gadwall, Great-crested Grebe and (2) Little Grebe.
After sorting the car my arrival at Napton on the Hill couldn't have been worse timed with a huge funeral in progress. That ruled out a look around the church yard but I managed an hour along the 'gully'. This was pretty quiet apart from a Stoat but two large Thrush flocks which passed overhead contained mainly Song Thrush and Redwing, but a couple of Fieldfare at the leading edge were my first of the autumn.
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| Redwing - Arriving back in small flocks |
After a spot of business in Rugby I did manage an hour at Brandon Marsh on route home in the late afternoon. East Marsh Pool had of note (4) Common Gull, (8) Snipe and before entering the Ted Jury Hide a Willow Tit was calling with (4) Meadow Pipit overhead. From the hide the long staying Stonechat was showing well, Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, (2) Buzzard, and Kestrel were other notables.
