Chats etc

I was out a little later than usual and as previously stated it is that time to keep checking the car park field again and again.

Nothing to report there, but scanning at the bottom of the field I immediately saw a Wheatear landing on a vent behind the scrub left of the Lea Farm green barn. Then a smaller bird fluttered onto the thistle next to it...a male Whinchat, but it dropped right out of view, then returned and perched for a couple of minutes, but was ousted by a Wheatear.

I scanned around and picked up a second Wheatear and which then joined the other on the same vent just behind left of the Oak and then both went left, I saw the Whinchat one more time and was scoping it when it flicked away without my seeing which direction.

Lots of warbler activity at the back of Lavell's in the Elder bushes, 15+ Blackcap, 3+ Chiffchaff, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler and I expect there awas many more birds had a kept looking, but I was more interested in re-finding the landfill birds. but nothing else really happened after that and scanning with Brian produced nothing, Alan reported 3 Wheatear from Ron's around 09:30, but distant, so maybe all the birds are still out there?

So on to a review of Spotted Redshank records;

3rd September 1981 - Flying over Sandford (TAG)
20th August 1984 - Mungell's Pond (AJ, TB & PB)
9th September 1985 - Flew over (AJ)
11th September 1989 - On Sandford Lake (DF)
16th to 20th August 1990 - Visiting Lavell's from Twyford Pits (BTB et al) There was a report that 2 were seen on the 20th (VSB), but I am not sure of the authenticity of the claim
26th May 1994 - No details, or observer, so this record cannot be verified
26th August 1994 - 2 claimed, but again no details at all and whilst the date is good, it cannot be verified
18th & 19th August 1995 - Sandford (TAG et al)
28th April 1996 - Yet again no details at all and cannot be verified
14th September to 2nd October 1998 - Visiting Lavell's from Twyford Pits (BTB et al)
15th March 2003 - Adult winter on Tern scrape (A Rymer et al)
30th August 2008 - Juvenile on Tern scrape (A Rymer et al)
26th August 2014 - Heard calling over BSL South (FJC)
22nd August 2016 - Lea Farm GP (GSE et al)