No sign on arrival, actually quiet, just barely 50 House Martin over the lake, nothing in the compound either. For some reason I thought perhaps they are further up the golf course "they flew in from that direction yesterday".
I walked about 250-300m and spotted some Mistle Thrush another 200m+ ahead around the electric wires, but barely stepped another foot when a slender brown bird flew across me 100m away and landed in the trees above the Emm Brook, thru bins I strained to see what it was half thinking "pipit?", but it sat up and the penny dropped, "Spotted Flycatcher, finally", my phone began ringing, I knew it was John but wanted the bird in my scope, but in the scramble, the bird moved unseen and I missed his call.
I called back and he said come quick the Black-tailed Godwit left but has just come back at Tern scrape. Some moments later and I was watching it, nice too.
It was nervous about hassle from Coots and Moorhen and left towards Lea Farm, John and I headed there. Joined by Brian, we had no sign and bright sun in our eyes to the East. After nearly 30 minutes I picked up something fast in flight, "Black-tailed Godwit" as it whirled in fast. Panning around I picked up 4 small birds, 3 were the autumn's first Meadow Pipit, but one flicked it's tail and alighted a thistle, it was a Whinchat, my fifth this year, fourth of the autumn...blimey.
Jack and his dad arrived and quickly got on the birds, a Skylark flicked over the rough, a Sedge Warbler to the left, 3 Nuthatch on the feeders.
Brian suddenly said, "there's 2, no 3 Black-tailed's" sure enough now 3 in the SW corner, all as Richard and Gill walked in. Terrible shot...
I wanted more still, "car park field?" I said and John, Brian, Jack and Martin all joined us and off we went. John and I checked well, nothing on the landfill at that end, the car park field took patience and a Lesser Whitethroat, another Sedge and about 8-10 Blackcap and a few Chiffchaff were never easy to see.
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