Rediscovering the Joys of Birding
• Monday, March 17, 2008 - The Sand Martins arrive and various oddities turn up
This weekend was made up, from a birding point of view, of a couple of brief trips out to Port Meadow. On Saturday at around mid-day I headed out with my son L in the pushchair to see what was around. I had heard that the Little Stint was still about and wanted to get a better view of it. The waders were all conveniently close and the light was good. I was able to get an excellent view of the Little Stint which was still hanging out with 12 dunlin. There were also 8 redshank and 3 ruff around as well as plenty of golden plover and lapwings. I also noticed 10 gadwall amongst the usual widgeon, teal and shoveler, though the pintails seem all to have departed. I also found one oystercatcher having a rest on the mud flats which was a first for me on the Meadow though not that great an achievement since I'd only really been looking since my re-discovery of birding about September last year.
On Sunday I went out with the pushchair again and also with my very lovely wife for a brief walk on the Meadow. This time I didn't have my scope with me as my VLW doesn't take too kindly to standing around in the cold whilst I scan the distant horizon, so it was just the bins today. The overnight rain had turned the wonderful mud flats back into a lake with any possible waders relegated to the far distance. However there were plenty of newly arrived sand martins hawking over the water which was a most welcome sight. I counted at least 15 feeding on the flies over the water. As we were leaving I heard a familiar cry and looked up to see a solitary curlew flying overhead. I watched it as it came in to land on the distant shoreline - another first for me for the Meadow.
The next day (Monday) I went for my usual run down to the Meadow only to find that the "lake" had doubled in size. I decided to run through the Burgess Field NR next door to see where the floods ended. There was not a great deal around in the NR but I was able to look over to the end of the floods where the wild fowl were assembled. I also noticed on the river Thames itself a single Barnacle Goose was swimming around with a couple of Canada Geese.
These various oddities have moved my year list on a few ticks. Once the summer migrants arrive in full force of course there will be plenty more to add.
101: oystercatcher
102: sand martin
103: curlew
104: barnacle goose |
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