The cold weather throughout April has meant migration has been slow to say the least. I wandered up this afternoon without expecting much, and thought two late Common Gulls that flew over heading northeast would probably be the highlight of the walk.
I decided to venture
into the bottom marsh to see if I could work out what the Reed Buntings were up
to, but they didn’t seem to be in there again, so I guess they are not breeding
there this year. However, I was in for a complete shock on my exit
It was only by pure
chance that I happened to look down at my boots as I was leaving the marsh, to
see the golden stripes of a Jack Snipe sat right next to me. This is the first
time I have seen one sitting without the help of my thermal camera. Heaven only
knows why this individual decided to remain sitting, since I was basically
straddling it with my legs, but it very nearly got away with it.
Fortunately it
allowed me to back away without flushing, and I got some nice photos before
walking away. Given that it is almost May, it was a bit of a shock to see this
species still present but happy to be proven wrong. This is my joint latest
spring individual at this site.
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting,
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