Being ready

Arriving at LFGP at 06:50, as I opened the flap a large gull was circling the SW corner and immediately I lifted my bins I could see a darker grey mantle and brown upper wings, all dark primaries, coverts and no pale inner secondary area, as brief as it was, I knew it was a 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull, my first this year and first since 2013.

I was still scanning with bins and seeing no waders other than Lapwing, when I followed a strung out group of Crows moving left to right, but picked up 5 birds beyond them going the same way and doubling back, the words "big waders" came out of my mouth...."might be Blackwits", but seeing no wing bars, "might be Whimbrel...surely not Barwits, it's too early".

As one does in a short space of milliseconds, I looked down at my scope and thought "*!*?*! hell, I'm not ready, my scope isn't even in position to get an immediate quick closer  view".

I have done this before, a moment of panic as you glance back thru bins, knowing they are too far away to get views that will clinch the I.D. but rather than stay on them with bins and get valuable jizz details, I chose to fumble frantically with the tripod legs to get the scope into position....and after an annoying amount of additional seconds, then scan wildly with bins to try and pick up the birds again to then change to scope to clinch it.

They were now too far away to be 100%, but it was a toss up between Whimbrel and Curlew, their wing beats were not fast, like I have seen Whimbrel showing on previous occasions. I couldn't see any bills as they were now heading away into the misty SE light, but strong white 'V's' on their rumps and not looking particularly large again suggested Whimbrel to me....I might be wrong!?

The lesson here is be ready, have the scope in position and open from the second you open the flap, so you get onto anything immediately.

For what it's worth July records for both are as follows;

Whimbrel

3 1982 (no date given)
4/18th 1983
1/20th 2006 heard from my bedroom at Shacketon Way 01:26

Curlew

1/1st 1984
1/20th 1985
1/7th 1986
1/6th 2010 heard only

Early Saturday, lazy Sunday

I couldn't sleep beyond 03:45 Saturday morning, so got up and was out by 04:20, checking out Lavell's first. No sign of the Barn Owl, or anything of interest, so quickly went on to LFGP.

Waders....1 Green, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 LRP, 1 Oystercatcher, 30+ Lapwing. 1 Skylark, 8 Ring-necked Parakeet flying along the landfill boundary South, new for July.

Walking back Nuthatch calling, various Warbler, but I haven't seen Sedge since May,

The annoying news that came in early evening was 2 Greenshank had been seen and photographed on Sandford mid afternoon. The first park year tick since Ringed Plover on 18th May.

Today was bird walk and a quieter feel overall, Grey Wagtail at the sailing club, an eclipse Shoveler new for July on Sandford. 2 LRP there too, At LFGP, very quiet, just Common Terns and BH Gulls making lots of noise, but then 2 Sand Martin went over, also new for July.

At Lavell's the juv Cuckoo was still showing, a Little Egret flushed off towards Sandford and a Green Sandpiper was feeding on the muddy margin in front of the reeds to the far left, as it has done a lot recently.

July is on 80 species, which might sound a lot, but isn't. the 2002 low count of 78 being poor, an average year produces 83 to 86, 94 in 2013 being the highest. But we are early in the month and various things will still show up. Hobby has been seen twice in the last 2-3 days after no reports in June.

A quiet morning

Out at 06:30 I heard an LRP going over South, but I went straight to LFGP in hope of a Greenshank and Blackwit, but none to be found, a lone Common Sandpiper was in our very muddy SW corner, as were a good few Lapwing and juv BH Gulls.

2-3, pairs of Common Tern do appear to be settling into nesting on the shingle island, but as always I worry with the near silence on Sandford, there is a Mink lurking and likely to attack any day.

A lone small job was perched on the bushed of the reedy ditch on the landfill, I think it was just a Reed Bunting as it dropped inside the bush.

No sign of any Teal, Shoveler, or other waders.

At BSL, 40+ Swift overhead, at Lavell's no sign of the juv Cuckoo, a pair of Oystercatcher quietly sat near the bund. Reed Warblers everywhere.

Oystercatchers young predated again?

I was pretty busy over the weekend, but did drop in for a brief visit and today I checked Sandford one more time to confirm to myself that the Oystercatchers have been predated again.

It was very quiet on Sandford this morning, suggesting that a Mink attack may have occurred again, very few BH Gulls too.

At LFGP, it was also quiet, but no obvious signs of trouble here, the terns seemed okay on the raft and the new nesters on the shingle island. 3 Oystercatcher flew over towards DP, one turning back and landing on the shingle island, which then gave frequent mournful calls, again suggesting a sad end to the fourth year in a row of failed breeding.

Passage wise, little to be said so far, but we stand a pretty good chance of Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshank any day and have had both this early in July before.

July ducks - I'm not falling for that again

I woke at 05:50 and it was murky and grey.

At BSL at 06:30 and a female and Juv Grey Wagtail means they bred nearby, on to LFGP and one Green Sandpiper, 1 LRP, 2 Skylark, then I noticed a small group of Mallard, but one caught my eye, showing facial features a little like a Garganey...but wasn't one.

I took some shots to reveal the similarity, but plumage overall was not right, flanks, tail and it wasn't small enough, the structure and bill shape was wrong.

A Little Egret went off East and that was about it, just as the clouds went NE and the sun came out.

Beach benefits

Having done my morning visit to the patch, I took the family to West Wittering for an afternoon of fun on the fine sandy beach and despite not doing any birding, there were some nice things to see.

Mediterranean Gulls were everywhere and not shy about coming to scavenge scraps from anyone, so it was fun just trying to catch a shot of them as they floated nearby.

For an inland birder, it was also interesting getting a jizz impression of them in flight, which I felt was more buoyant, obviously the call was prominent, as well as enjoying noting the different ages, juvenile to adult, there had to have been a minimum of 10 and probably quite a few more.

Also present were Little and Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher over towards the lagoons and no doubt a good look would have yielded all sorts more.

July wader passage

I was out at 06:30, nothing on BSL, on the way down the Loddon path a Nuthatch and Coal Tit called, at LFGP the first autumn Common Sandpiper was in front of the hide, but went off to the left.

An additional 16+ Common Tern were setting up a colony on the shingle island, 18 Lapwing, mostly in the SW corner, where the water was at it's lowest since the digging.

A male Kingfisher sat in front of the hide for a few minutes.