One more for June

Steve added another one today, hearing Little Grebe at Mungell's Pond, officially leveling with 2010 & 2012. Still a week left to add those other 'AP's' and some 'possibles'.

I'll get out again tomorrow.

Wet weather hits breeding species

I haven't got down today, but knowing Sandford Lane is closed suggests the overnight heavy rain has impacted breeding species, my guess being LFGP's tern colony may be under water already.

In the background a more species have been added to the month list and if we assume Lesser Whitethroat is around, then we are already matching the No.1 spot of 87 in 2010 & 2012. And that's not including Little Grebe, or Little Owl and with a several other already mentioned species that might, if not should occur, we still have a week left to hit and go beyond 90 for the first time in June.

Add one, lose one

Richard notified me of the Coal Tit Brian had on the 4th, but I hadn't 'unticked' Lesser Whitethroat off the monthly running total template, which as likely as it is they breed, we never prove it, so it can only remain 'Assumed Present' until proven otherwise.

I also forgot to add Common Gull as possible, as they can turn up on odd dates. Yellow-legged Gull also has to be possible.

Bob had 3 Green Sandpiper today, matching 2009's record of 3 on 11th (TGJ), we then have to go back a while, 3/27th 2004, 3/30th 2002, 2-3 all month 1999, 3/9th 1993, 4/28th, 4/22nd 1992, 5/23rd & 25th. Generally speaking more than 2 is uncommon early in June, but some years passage can get quickly underway by late month.

Looks like we have 14 pairs of terns settling on the shingle island, 2-3 more on the rafts, but still no sign of any young Gadwall.

Let's talk mega's again for fun;

3rd 1992 - Red-Footed Falcon (D Horton et al)...no idea D Horton is, or who et al refers to?
11th 1989 - Marsh Warbler, heard all day Lavell's, few saw it (RTT, DF, TAG, BTB et al)
18th 1983 - 9 Little Tern thru 07:00 (FJC & M Russell)
20th 2012 - Quail heard only (Bill Stacey) then heard once at dusk (TAG, BTB, RNM & GF)
24th 2002 - Honey Buzzard (FJC) thru NE after showers

That's your lot.

June high

Richard's Pochard find this morning, puts the month on 82, which equals 2007 and 2015 and equates to =3rd highest June. This is pretty good, =2nd place of 85 is shared by 2006 & 2013, =1st place of 87 is shared by 2010 and 2012.

It is hard to break the mid 80's, but there are still several species which have a good chance of showing up;

Little Grebe - Could be on site somewhere, I've been checking the balancing pool, but Mungell's is also a good candidate and who ever checks the lakes and ponds West of Bader Way?
Mandarin - Often appear with young around now
Shoveler - 9 of the last consecutive years
Peregrine - Seen rarely, but most months which to me suggests it is more often over than seen
Little Owl - Assumed Present (AP) as is always seen in or near the big Oak
Mistle Thrush - Last seen by me in early May near the car park, but at least 2 pairs appeared to holding territory back then, so they must be somewhere nearby
Willow Warbler - loads singing in May, haven't found one myself, but could easily be breeding in one of the quiet and rarely visited spots on DP
Coal Tit - Overlooked and no doubt nearby all the time
Raven - Only one record in June, but could easily be breeding nearby

If we got all the above we'd be over 90 for the first time ever and that's not even counting a rarity, such things as Black Tern, early Black-tailed Godwit, even Wood Sandpiper could occur with weather like we are experiencing right now.

Hobby at last

I headed down to LFGP and as I was passing thru Lavell's, looked up and saw a Hobby moving fast towards Teal scrape end.

The Redshank was hiding on the island, the Green Sandpiper was asleep on the grass bank behind in the SW corner. A good handful of Lapwing, 1 Oystercatcher and 2 LRP's also present.

Wet weather sure to undermine breeding

The unsettled weather is bringing up the river levels and sure to flood Sandford any day, no doubt flooding out all the usual species that attempt to nest there. Though Richard witnessed a fledged Oystercatcher on Lea Farm yesterday, it hasn't been proven it is from the Sandford pair yet.

I saw a pair of Chiffchaff carrying food in the car park field and 10 days ago I saw Ring-necked Parakeet along the Loddon, which may be nesting nearby.

At Lea Farm there hasn't been much to shout about, still the odd Little Egret venturing over to Lavell's, the LRP's and 1-2 Teal.

Still no luck for me finding a Hobby.

Daily efforts not changing matters

I've been down quite a few times since my last post, but failed to see Hobby and made a half hearted attempt at Tawny Owl on the bird walk today..without success.

Of interest was the 3 Little Egret, which was a new June high count, but 7th that fell to Richard's 6, which fell later on the 9th to Geoff claiming 7, then 8. It is a little confusing that 9 was written on the board for the 7th? Either way something interesting happened with Little Egret and blew away all previous June counts, not that beating 2 birds on 11th and 27th of last year was a tally that would be hard to exceed.

What does it mean, perhaps an early brood from an unknown location, as I didn't see the 6-9 birds I couldn't say what age they were.

1-2 Teal have now appeared and yesterday and early Green Sandpiper dropped in, joining the pair of LRP's which look quite happy in the SW corner. It would be amazing if they settled and had a go at breeding here.

At 79 we are just 3 away from last June's total and equal 3rd place, next is 85 in 2006 and 2013 in 2nd and 87 in 2010 and 2012. There is scope to beat 3rd place, as a fair few species could show up yet, Little Grebe, Shoveler, Redshank, Little Owl, Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler and Cuckoo, are all possible.

2 year ticks await my effort

Tawny Owl chicks at Heron's Water and a fly over Hobby will no doubt bring me up to date until passage begins. With my friend Derek seeing Honey Buzzard over Windsor Forest yesterday we can always stay optimistic and maybe all these Easterlies may even up our chances of a Red Footed Falcon.

May was pretty good, 96 if we count 'Assumed Present' species : Peregrine, Little Owl, Barn Owl, Grey Wagtail, Willow Warbler and Coal Tit.

June high count is 87 in 2010 and 2012, we currently stand on 72, to be added are Little Grebe, Little Egret, Hobby, LRP, Redshank, Nightingale, Mistle Thrush and all the same 'Assumed Present' species.

June is generally quiet, but odd rarities show up, 1-2 Wood Sandpiper have occurred, 20th 2012 produced a Quail, 4 June records of Black Tern exist, a flock of 9 Little Terns 18th 1983, is a wonderful memory for me. June 3rd 1992 brought our only ever Red Footed Falcon. 24th 2002 produced a Honey Buzzard over NE.

Fairly regularly odd ducks show up, Pochard, Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal appear as singles, or pairs and Common Gulls also show up from time to time.

The park is on 129, so to be on track with a good year, we should hope to add another 10 species...here's hoping.

Post holiday re-identification

Before I came home, I visited 'Freedom Island', or Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat & Ecotourism Area, lying about 2-3 miles South of the Mall of Asia (MOA), facing Manila Bay.

Inside Freedom Island there are several pools, which can hold all sorts of nice things, rails, herons, egrets, waders, ducks and on this occasion, I heard a familiar wader call, but when I scoped it, I thought Ringed Plover, saying to myself "I think that's a country tick" and wrote it in my pad, getting a few shots too.

But something was bugging me and I looked it up this morning and this is in fact Charadrius dubius jerdoni, an Eastern for of Little-ringed Plover, isn't a beauty, what an eye ring and check out that pink on the bill, I guess it's called Jerdon's Little-ringed Plover.