Arriving around 10:00 it was quickly evident that Meadow Pipits were on the move, so I quickly headed down to overlook the landfill. Richard WhatsApp'd me saying 'Coal Tit behind the MAC'
I had clocked a distant hot air balloon to the NW and had another quick look from the wire fence, then panning around passed it with bins again thought "what's that flying around it?"
Fixing my scope on it, I could see 2 pale form Buzzards just above it, then a large dark bird passed around the basket, followed by a second..."2 Raven, unbelievable" I thought.
The 2 Raven circled the basket at least 2-3 times and I thought if they are calling, it would be one excellent view to behold, as they can't have been more than 100 feet from the basket. Then they went upwards joining the Buzzard and all circled for several minutes, gaining height and starting to drift N to NE.
I was fascinated by this, wondering was it them following a thermal that the balloon was on, or perhaps more likely, was it warm air coming off the balloon that they were taking advantage of?
Amazingly, this was my 10th sighting of Raven in 2015, which feels a long way beyond my first record of 2 on 30th January 2005, although counting my records I had 22 sightings up to 2014, so it is quite an increase the patch is experiencing
During texting, Tweeting and WhatsApp'ing I lost them all, but my focus moved back to Meadow Pipit, by which time several good sized groups had gone thru South, 17, 12 and then 30+, the latter group stalling over the landfill, but there were numerous other smaller groups of 3-5 going in all directions. 4 Siskin came in from the West and went on East low, Grey Wagtail heard overhead.
Geoff also texted to say Wheatear on one of the far vents, sadly not visible from the car park boundary fence. So a quick whizz to BSL to see nothing, then pined down to LFGP. The Wheatear still on show. Then off home.
Later I went out with my son and saw the Red Crested Pochard and a grass snake swimming towards Bittern hide, my first in several years.
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