Earlier this month I was surprised to discover that Tardebigge Reservoir was low. I had probably missed the peak wader passage time, but even a substantial edge of compacted gravel seemed to offer some hope.
So I've made two more visits to the reservoir this week, hoping that the site's elevated location (160 metres above sea-level) though not the highest point within the Circle, might bring me some visible migration.
Tuesday's visit was dire. The Meadow Pipit passage was a modest 28 in an hour, and there was a handful of Chiffchaffs were in the hedgerow bordering the canal.
Despite this set-back I gave it another go this morning in the fog. It was actually a little bit better. The Little Egret was back, and there were some waders, albeit just two Green Sandpipers lurking on the far bank.
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| Little Egret |
As the morning wore on I accumulated a small quantity of visibly migrating birds; 33 Meadow Pipits, 18 Skylarks, and 13 Chaffinches.
I roamed a little further this time, and was pleased to find that the farmland above the reservoir was mainly arable. A large flock of corvids and double figures of large gulls were the main feature, and most of the fields looked like the kind of stubble you get from intensively farmed land. There were very few areas with arable weeds like these:
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| Probably Scentless Mayweed |
I am guessing that this is the area which in the distant past held flocks of Yellowhammers and a few Corn Buntings. There was nothing of that kind today.
After Tuesday I was close to deciding never to come here again, but I think it is probably just about worth a few more visits.
Tardebigge church is a little higher. Don't know if that would make any difference?
ReplyDeleteThat's true. I suppose I was hoping for a Rock Pipit or a wader at the reservoir.
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