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Distant Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus |
Thursday 8 August
The best day of the week with warm sunshine and pleasant conditions forecast before the onset of tonight's rain and storms and getting worse over the week-en. So off once again to
RSPB Framton Marsh near Boston, Lincs where I met up with birding friends Chris Bell and Rosie Taylor for a long and productive day's birding; absolutely wonderful, both in terms of the birding and the company.
Arriving first at about 9.30 I was greeted bu the usual
Wood Pigeons as I entered the site the a good number of feeding
Barn Swallows near the Visitors Centre. Noting where the "specials" had been seen yesterday I headed straight down to the far park near the steps up to the Saltmarsh bank and could not but help notice the
Starlings,
Mute Swans,
Lapwings and
Mallards as I made my way eastwards. Once parked up I reckoned I had about thirty minutes before Chris and Rosie arrived so concentrated on searching for the reported Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Redshank and Curlew Sandpiper. But I was to be sadly disappointed on all counts. However to the south of the road there was a large flock of
Dunlin, a few
Black-tailed Godwit and a small number of both
Avocet and
Shelduck. However, looking northwards the pools produced hundreds of
Black-tailed Godwit and more
Lapwing and
Mallard. A
Little Grebe was active in front of me and a number of more distant
Little Egrets were noted. This northern side also produce many
Canada Geese a smaller number of
Greylag Geese.
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Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta |
Back on the other side of the road I was able to add a
Common Redshank and couple of
Ringed Plover. Leaving the basking
Cormorant to enjoy the early morning sun I noted first
Sedge quickly followed by the
Reed Warbler. On the path a couple of
Reed Bunting moving about along with a single
Pied Wagtail. However, by far the greatest attraction was the huge number of feeding
Sand Martins overhead and later confirmed that last night's roost had counted more more than 4000 individuals. Obviously, the hirundine migration is underway. Getting back into the car to drive up to the min car park i had a couple of
Goldfinch in the nearby tree and the first of many sightings of
Ruff during the day.
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Peek-a-boo Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus |
Arriving back at the car park Rosie and Chris had just arrived so time for a quick coffee before setting off for the 360 Hide. Out on the waters in front of the
Visitors Centre we picked up
Little Grebe,
Moorhen, more
Dunlin and both a
Greenshank and
Spotted Redshank as well as
Mallards and
Mute Swans not to mention the
House Sparrows on the feeders.
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Apart from the Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula at the front can you find anything other than Dunlin Calidris alpina? |
Walking down to the first hide a small crop of sunflowers held both
Goldfinch and
Linnet and as the latter moved to the nearby bushes we were able to locate a single
Common Whitethroat. A
Green Sandpiper then
Yellow Wagtail were noted just before taking the main path to the hide which produced a little adventure. The path was flooded for about fifty metres, not as a result of rain but a delay in turning off the tap when transferring water from the
Reedbed to the
Freshwater Scrape! Nothing forward but to plough our way through which resulted in arriving at the 360 Hide with wet trainers and one very wet sock. The hide to ourselves, presumably as a result of other visitors not venturing into the "river" so shoe and sock on the windowsill to dry in the bright sunshine as we studied the various waters!
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Strange Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula with white wing markings |
The first of two
Marsh Harriers was seen to the north and then a more concentrated study of what was about including another basking
Cormorant. More
Black-tailed Godwits,
Little Grebe,
Mallard,
Mute Swan and
Lapwing along with a few
Shelduck and
Avocet. At the same time no shortage of
Common Starling and then we found the
Sand Martin roost which, until the
Marsh Harrier drifted over, probably held over an hundred individuals with many more in the air but, I suspect, thousands had already moved on.
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Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus being mobbed by Sand Martins Riparia riparia |
With my damp sock hanging out of my rucksack to continue drying we moved on to the
Reedbed Hide. Not long before we found the juvenile
Black-necked Grebe and a close by pair of
Tufted Duck. More
Lapwing and loads of
Black-tailed Godwits before checking out the
Dunlin resting with the former we located a single
Knot. To the very far side another
Ruff and then a
Carrion Crow flew in to rest in the bare tree on the centre of the water. Apart from the many
Black-headed Gulls we also found a
Herring Gull plus more
Ringed Plover and a couple of
Little Ringed Plover.
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Lapwing Vanellus vanellus with Ruff Philomachus pugnax |
The continuing walk back to the
Visitors Centre to continue the loop and avoid returning via the flooded footpath produced a number of
Coot as well as more
Sedge Warbler. Time to partake of our picnic lunch during which time we recorded both
Blackbird and
Collared Dove followed by an adult and juvenile
Great Crested Grebe then off down to the far car park for the continued search for our rarities.
From the far car park we were able to observe the ten
Spoonbill and plenty of
Black-tailed Godwit and
Dunlin but none of the target birds. However, I did find a couple of
Teal then it was up onto the
Saltmarsh bank. Also added was yet another
Common Sandpiper.
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Six of the ten Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia on site |
Once we had recorded the single
Whimbrel diligent searching of the marsh below us eventually produced a male
Curlew along with four juveniles. A
Meadow Pipit flew up from below and the searching the pools on the
Wet Grassland we found a party of 15
Golden Plover. Before moving southwards we added a rather lovely
Northern Wheatear then on to overlook the pools on the far side of the road we found both
Ruff and
Wood Sandpiper plus a group of five
Spotted Redshank. Chris carried on the the final pool where he saw the
Little Stint whilst away in front of us was a
Great White Egret. Nearer to us it was also Chris who found our only
Snipe of the day and the, on the saltmarsh itself, I found a
Kestrel using one of the small posts as a plucking station to enjoy his lunch and another nearby
Herring Gull.
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Curlew Numenius arquata |
So back to the car which we had brought, just the one, down this small car park. A quartet of birders using the bank opposite seemed most engrossed checking out yet another (small) flock of
Black-tailed Godwits and informed us that they had found the
Long-billed Dowitcher. Much searching as the bird was well concealed both behind the godwits and a grassy tuft but spot it we did. What a way to end our day; both the
Long-billed Dowitcher and
Spotted Redshanks seen along with almost sixty other species.
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Hidden behind these few Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa and the grass was the visiting Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus - very difficult to spot withou a scope and hidden most of the time |
Back to the
Visitors Centre for a final coffee before departure and, outside on the feeder, we even added both
Blue Tit and
Greenfinch to the day's tally. Whilst Chris and Rosie went off to try and find the local breeding pair of Turtle Dove I made my way home and as soon as I reached the main A16 road was able to add the large flock of
Rooks resting on the wires to my list. I wonder if Chris and Rosie found the Turtle Dove?
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Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe |
Birds seen:
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Mallard, Teal, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Spoonbill, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Snipe, Long-billed Dowitcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Northern Wheatear, Blackbird, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blue Tit, Rook, Carrion Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting.
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Ruff Philomachus pugnax |
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