And not only did one Stilt return, he/she also bought along a few friends, so there were a suspected three on the reserve on Monday evening. And not only this, but they were showing down to 10 metres. What a spectacle!
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| Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus |
The rest of the week also saw some cracking birds turn up; Pectoral Sandpiper, Little Stint, Temmincks' Stint, two Little Gulls and then to round it all off, three Black Terns arrived and this individual put on a stunning display for me from East Hide.
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| Black Tern, Chlidonias niger |
Aside from the wonderful influx of unusual birds, the usual fair are also providing lots of nice sightings. The Turtle Doves are showing well every day, although often in unpredictable locations, and there are Avocet and Gull chicks literally everywhere (with some particularly keen to get into the hides). Little Ringed Plovers and Terns are still nesting although the latter remain very well hidden, apart from when they venture off to feed and provide cracking views.
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| Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius |
As far as Passerines are concerned, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed Warbler can still be heard singing around the reserve, and I caught this Tree Sparrow still busy gathering nest material. Then again, they do like to line their nests with a lot of feathers!
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| Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus |
On a final note, I was lucky enough to be shown a good spot for one of my favourite migrants, and one that is becoming increasingly more difficult to find; the Spotted Flycatcher. The site they have chosen is idyllic, set in some lovely Weeping Willows over a small river, and this individual perched out in clear view for a good few minutes.... Wonderful!
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| Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata |
