From Ian Smith:
Deer Park 10:00
Slow walk around produced 2 Chough, 2
each of Rock & Meadow Pipit, 5 Wheatear, 2 Whinchat, 8 Stonechat and
8 Swallows enjoying the cool breeze.
Willows by Park
entrance, gave both cover for birds and secrecy to numbers. Species
noted included:. Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Goldfinch (lots), Blue
Tit, Stonechat, Spotted Flycatcher and Reed Bunting.
The Gann 12:10
A
juvenile Osprey sought out one of the shortest dead pine trees as it's
perch, possibly to avoid the strengthening breeze. Sitting out the high
tide on the lagoon were 4 Greenshank, 14 Redshank, 57 Oystercatcher, 6
Ringed Plover, 18 Dunlin and one each of Knot and Black-tailed Godwit.
A Sparrowhawk at 1:20 usefully assisted in gaining some of the shank
counts.
Dale Airfield 1:40
Elevation
added both wind and chill plus Mervyn and Alison seeking out Whinchat
and Yellow Wagtail respectively, with no success. Not helped by a dog
stampeding all the sheep off the stoney field to near the access gate
and seemingly taking good numbers of both Pied & White Wagtails and
Meadow Pipits with them. A few Wheatears, Skylarks and a couple of
Ringed Plovers remained. Some other cause was then responsible for at
least 500 Corvids panicked into the sky off the farmland to the East.
Possibly a female Sparrowhawk which appeared later at 3:10 in SW
corner. George M. then joined me for the seemingly fruitless search for
a bird of significance which actually became a single Golden Plover
calling loudly on the stoney field, then flying over our heads and off
in the direction of The Gann, all the time completely shrouded in an
invisibility blanket. Perplexed is a mild word to accompany our head
shaking. A second visit to the Deer Park and Martins Haven revealed
nothing new except tales of Rare Birds seen in days of old and how
superb Martins Haven looks for attracting rare birds today. There was
just one missing element...
...somewhere under that very extensive blanket.