Firstly, for anyone visiting its back to wellies time. Track is back to a few wading puddles in the usual spots.
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| The main puddle that needs wellies |
The water
level was good after all the rain, yet it felt relatively quiet! A good number
of teal came in later in the day but shoveller were single figures and mallard
were not as many as perhaps to be expected. Two moorhen and a little grebe were also
seen, with a water rail heard calling from the reedbed as I left. Number of snipe intermittently lifted from the reedbed, mostly in region of 10-20 birds at a time. One
grey heron flew in after being disturbed by a passing buzzard. Heard a few Cettis warbler from hide. 
Teal
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| Little Grebe |
A flock of 30 black tailed godwit flew over high in middle of day looking like they were heading to Kilpaison.
A small number of Fieldfare along with a couple of Song Thrush were feeding on the hawthorn berries off the gully on my way back.
Poor quality image of a fieldfare, light was fading by this point
The birds of prey intermittently put in appearances. A kestrel was seen hunting over the upper farm fields not far from Gupton on my walk in. There are currently at least 3 Marsh harriers on the corse. A buzzard was seen a few time and a lone red kite was drifting about high in the sky. Saw a sparrowhawk twice during my time there.
Sparrowhawk
Sub adult Marsh Harrier (Probably CY1)
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| One of the older birds |
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| Adult Female |
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| Is this same adult female as above or a different bird?.... more observation time needed! |
Highlights though were the female kingfisher who briefly sat on a post for a moment or two after a sparrowhawk failed to get her, and a goshawk who tried to go after some teal on edge of reeds. Both very brief encounters but worth the wait.
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| Female Kingfisher |
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| Goshawk |