Greenshank

Ah, at last a year tick and a nice juvenile Greenshank, marking my 126th species for the year, only the third time  have achieved this, 2008 & 2003 also.25+ Swift over landfill and a brief Hobby.

Long time no year tick

Not a total lack of birding, but only short visits since the 12th. Managed to miss the 3 Green Sandpiper during the work party, then 2 more the following Weds. Yesterday what was described as most likely a female Marsh Harrier went thru about 10 minutes before I arrived at LFGP. Thursday the nesting Common Terns and Black headed Gulls were slaughtered once again on LFGP, but one Mink was caught and dispatched so we can only hope we have similar success on that front.
Late afternoon plenty of raptors up, best of all at least 3 Hobby over the landfill.

Vile Mink kill nesting birds on Lavell's Tern raft

As if the flooding hadn't done enough damage, yesterday early evening Mink attacked and killed the flightless chicks of Common Tern and Black Headed Gull, along with Coot on the lake itself. I swear on my life I am going to do all I can to wipe out this vermin from DP. Today the surviving Common Tern chicks were seen on the old tern island at Lavell's (5), plus 1 LFGP. The only remaining nesting birds are those giving another try on LFGP, 2-3 sitting birds currently. Also on LFGP an unusual July Redshank, a juvenile, spending much of the time hidden in the long vegetation with Lapwing, the juvenile Hobby was again on show for extended periods, amusing itself by chasing Lapwing and Common Terns.

Awaiting gull sp news

Whilst standing at the sailing club, a text came in saying a gull sp had just been chased off LFGP, I dashed to Lavell's but nothing doing, a female Shoveler asleep on the bund was all. I moved onto Sandford, just Black Headeds asleep, but an Oystercatcher on one of the islands may soon be the last we will see of the species this year and 2 Hobby hunting overhead was nice too. I returned to the sailing club, scanning the whole area I picked up 14 or more Swift, a Kestrel over Winnersh Triangle, 10+ Pied Wagtail on and around the jetty and a Hobby moving South, momentarily thinking it looked a little long winged....yeah right. I await record shots of the gull and hope it wasn't the Sabine's from Herts passing thru.
Post script : It wasn't the Sabine's, just a juv Black Headed......phew!

First returning wildfowl

A 17:00 visit to Bittern hide turned up the first returning Teal, Bert May had already written it in the log at 13:55. Anyway a female Gadwall and 1 fully grown young was at the far left hand end of the lake, 10 Common Tern + several young still on raft. At BSL 4 adult and 1 fledged Common Tern were circling high and moving E/SE, being that the young bird was fledged this cannot have been local to DP, so presume all were passing thru. Other than that, just 8 Swift overhead and 11 Pied Wagtail on the jetty.

Migration starting slowly

A quick trip to LFGP around 09:30 offered a glimmer of migration, 1 Common Sandpiper & 1 juvenile Little Ringed Plover, the same 1 Little Egret also present. Yesterday afternoon on the sailing club jetty, my high count of Pied Wagtails was 17, no sign of Grey Wagtail since May, but I guess could be visiting early mornings, or dusk?