Sunday 23 November 2014

A brief grey KNOT......

SUNDAY 23 NOVEMBER

Well it rained, and it rained, and it rained; all day long in fact, leading to localised flooding. Much cooler than of late also, with a high of just 6 degrees C.

Following an early morning call from the great Dave Bilcock, I whizzed over to WILSTONE RESERVOIR and the comfort and dry of the Drayton Bank Hide. Dave and Francis Buckle had both seen a KNOT in with the Golden Plover flock and after a lot of searching, I eventually located it just before the 400 or so birds took flight - the single grey KNOT and a DUNLIN both heading off directly east at 0950 hours and not returning. A single BLACK-TAILED GODWIT was still present too - showing well in front of the hide - and with the water levels rising and so much drenched mud, no fewer than 31 COMMON SNIPE were on view.

Otherwise, much the same as Friday, with 38 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Little Grebe, 19 Mute Swans, 96 Greylag Geese, 330 Wigeon, a mammoth 464 Common Teal (largest number present this autumn), 21 Gadwall, 5 Common Pheasant, 43 Moorhen, 370 Coot, 370 Lapwing and 15 Pied Wagtails.

MARSWORTH held 58 Shoveler and 2 Great Crested Grebe, while STARTOPSEND added 1 Mute Swan, 16 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebe, 4 Little Egret, 20 Teal and 9 Wigeon; TRINGFORD had Little and  Great Crested Grebe, just 6 Red-crested Pochard, 2 Goldcrest and 12 Redwing












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