Friday 31 July 2009

Friday 31st July 09 - Afternoon - Greenshank(s)

2:30 > 5:00pm
Cloudy to begin with but increasing sun and warmth (yes in July!), southerly breeze.

Just as Friday was Ring Ouzel day in the spring (see here) it seem that on very early 'autumn' migration Friday is now Greenshank day.
Four weeks to the day that a single bird appeared, a site first (see here) another one, or possibly two were on site this afternoon.

The first was located on the main area of water fraternising with three Green Sandpipers, while later what may well have been a different bird was in the inlet where rain has refilled some of the old pools. It may have been the changing light but one bird certainly look lighter and sleeker than the 'other' and having commuted between inlet and lakeside twice it thought it must be one clever wader to follow me on both occasions. Hard to be 100% though but i'll settle for the one anyway. Pics below. A single Common Sandpiper was also briefly on the main pools.

Also on site around a dozen Terns (no doubt Commons but who knows) in the mixed gull flock which have found a new home in the new deeply dug area behind the original wader pit.

A flock of 50+ Lapwing put in an appearance before being spooked while the Kestrel continues to make a nuisance of himself. In the top field the Canada Goose flock continues to grow and the two groups are now numbering over 70 birds.

All Greenshank pics below taken today at Manor Farm...









Kestrel - Birdguides
Kestrel - BTO
Kestrel - RSPB
Kestrel - Wiki

Thursday 30 July 2009

Thursday 30th July - Evening - Common Buzzard


4:15 > 5:30pm
Post thunderstorm, sunny, warm, odd ominous cloud. Brisk westerly wind at times.

Singles of both Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper remain. No sign of any Lapwing today and gull numbers down to around 40 Black Headed Gulls, three Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a single Herring Gull that certainly didn't have yellowish legs. Three Common Terns also present.
Link
A pair of Little Egrets were also out on the mud while a third joined them briefly when flushed from back brook. A Common Buzzard, again swooping low over the site, sent everthing skywards for a while. The Kestrel still hunts over the muddied area.

Lesser Black Backed Gull - Birdguides
Lesser Black Backed Gull - BTO
Lesser Black Backed Gull - RSPB
Lesser Black Backed Gull - Wiki

Tuesday 28 July 2009

Tuesday 28th July 09 - Evening - Common Sandpipers


5:00 > 5:30pm
Cloudy, breezy.

An influx over previous days. Four Green Sandpipers on the small poools to the west were joined by two Common Sandpipers.
A single juvenile Common Tern sat among the large group of gulls which consisted of circa 100 Black Headed Gulls and seven Lesser Black Backed Gulls.
Around fifty Lapwing were dotted around the site but very flighty.
For the second day running a Kestrel was paying close attention to activities on the mud.

Common Sandpiper - Birdguides
Common Sandpiper - BTO
Common Sandpiper - RSPB
Common Sandpiper - Wiki

Monday 27 July 2009

Monday 27th July - Afternoon - Common Tern

Black Headed Gull

4:00 > 4:30pm
Windy, drizzley rain, sun breaking.

One of those sparse days. Just a single Common Tern and a handful of BHG's about.
However the (what looks like completed) work on the original 'Wader Pit' immediately east of Godwit Corner looks like it might be interesting with a bit of rain.

Common Tern - Birdguides
Common Tern - BTO
Common Tern - RSPB
Common Tern - Wiki

Friday 24 July 2009

Friday 24th July 09 - Evening Update - Med Gull

From Si Nicholls on NNBR from Rob (Hill?)

"19:49 Rob has just texted , there is a juv Mediterranean Gull at Manor Farm currently!"

Possibly came down in the deluge mentioned below earlier today?

Med Gull - RSPB
Med Gull - Birdguides
Med Gull - BTO
Med Gull - Wiki

Friday 24th July 09 - Afternoon - And the the rain came...


2:30 > 4:30
Sunny, warm, then thunderstorms with heavy downpours.

On arrival not of lot of life out on the mud/water.
A dozen or so Black Headed Gulls, five Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a couple of Green Sandpipers were all that was on view.
Then the heavens opened.
In twenty minutes the main body of water (or the mud where the main body of water used to be) was awash with birds. I gave up counting the gulls at over 200 of varios types, again mostly BHG's but at least a couple of Herrings the throng, these were joined by around 15 terns, not identifiable in the deluge but mostly (if not all) Common Terns including a few juveniles.
Three Little Egrets also put in appearance during the downpour.

Little Egret - Birdguides
Little Egret - BTO
Little Egret - RSPB
Little Egret - Wiki

Thursday 23 July 2009

Wednesday 22nd July 09 - Evening - Canada Geese influx


5:15 > 5:30pm
Cloudy, warm, very breezy.

Very brief visit, just a single Green Sandpiper of note plus around sixty Canada Geese out on the mud.
Water levels holding steady but doubt there will be much attraction come autumn as there was on spring migration.

Canada Goose - Birdguides
Canada Goose - BTO
Canada Goose - Wiki

Tuesday 21 July 2009

Tuesday 21st July 09 - Afternoon - Nowt!

4:15 > 4:30
Cloudy, breezy, spitting rain.

Apart from 31 BHG's and a couple of crows nothing on site.

Monday 20 July 2009

Monday 20th July - Afternoon - Green Sandpipers

3:15 > 4:00pm
Cloudy.

A build up of Green Sandpipers, up to six on site at any one time.
Single Little Ringed Plover.
Little Egret
Gulls:
BHG C70
LBB 3
Herring 1
Single Common Tern.

Friday 17 July 2009

Friday 17th July 09 - Afternoon - BHG's en masse and possible Mink

2:00 > 3:00pm
Very heavy showers, sunny spells, strong westerly wind when raining.

First visit for a week due to working away and water levels remain pretty steady after recent days of heavy showers.
The only notable birds were a a single juvenile Little Ringed Plover, now spreading its wings and flying around the site, and a Green Sandpiper.

Notable at the site, and not just around the water but around the fields surrounding were around 500 gulls, the usual 100 or so regulers bolstered possibly by others brought down by the rain. Mostly BHG's with a sprinkling of larger gulls here and there. Around 50 Lapwing were also on site.

Along the banks of Back Brook I saw a juvenile Moorhen getting dragged back into the water by an unseen assailant, the only conclusion I can come up with with is tha we have Mink in the area and this might explain the juvenile Black Headed Gull ripped to bits one afternoon last week (see somewhere below).

Friday 10 July 2009

Friday 10th May 09 - Afternoon - Very little

2:00 to 4:00pm
Sunny spells, warming up.

With work at either ends of what was the main body the only birds of note were a single Little Ringed Plover and a pair of Green Sandpiper. All Lapwing and BHG's which were on site in numbers last week or so have gone.

Thursday 9 July 2009

Thursday 9th July - Morning - Little Egrets Standoff



7:00 > 7:20
Sunny, warming up.

Another brief visit, nothing of note really just two Little Egrets having chases across the mud vying for position on the new pool that has been attracting waders recently. (SW corner of what was the main body of water).
On the wader front nothing at all apart from a dozen Lapwing, these are down in number as are the Black Headed Gulls, down to 35.
The recent heavy rain appears to have refilled some of the pools in the inlet are (NW corner) for any taking a look at MF might be worth a walk to the end as this is where yesterdays Green Sandpipers were flitting in and out of.

Wednesday 8 July 2009

Wednesday 8th July - Evening - Buzzard


17:00 > 17:30
Sunny spells, increasing cloud.

No sign of Common Sandpiper seen earlier.
Two Green Sandpipers on site plus one Little Ringed Plover and a remaining Little Egret.
Since my lunchtime visit something had literally ripped apart one of the gulls out on the mud (feathers everywhere), no sign of culprit but a Common Buzzard swooping in a few times to inspect what was left put everything to flight including 100+ BHG's and the forty or so Lapwing.

Wednesday 8th July 09 - Lunchtime - Common Sandpiper

12:15 > 12:45
Cloudy, odd sunny spell, NW breeze, drizzle at times.

A quiet visit the only bird of note being a Common Sandpiper mostly on the clay at the side of what was the main body of water but seen in flight to other 'deeper' area.
Still plenty of pools remaining but none of the other waders seen in previous days including the resident Little Ringed Plovers.
Four Little Egret here and there is the most I have seen at the site to date.
Others counts, circa 80 Black Headed Gulls and c40 Lapwing.

Tuesday 7 July 2009

Tuesday 7th July 09 - Morning - Green Sandpipers

7:00 to 7:20am
Cloudy, sunny periods after overnight rain.

Recent heavy rain (with more to come) has boosted remaining pools and puddles.

Two Green Sandpipers were the highlight.
A single Little Ringed Plover on the mud.
Counts of 97 Black Headed Gulls and a single Herring Hull.
30 Lapwing and c couple of arriving Grey Heron on the pool that held a dozen on Friday.

Saturday 4 July 2009

Friday 3rd July - Afternoon - Greenshank

2:00 to 4:00pm
Warm but cooler of late, sunny spells, visit after heavy lunchtime showers.

After the heavy downpour this lunchtime I looked in at MF on the off chance, new pools formed that attracted the following.
Greenshank (a first for the site) present from 2:00 till at least 4:00pm when I left.
At least three Green Sandpipers.
A single Oystercatcher
Three Little Ringed Plovers
30+ Lapwing
40+ BHG's and a single LBB.
Little Egret
Hobby over
And one smallish pool with an impressive 12 Grey Herons including several juves.