This morning, with limited time to spare, I decided to try visiting Mappleborough Green Flash. It had rained all night (again), and I was optimistic there might be some waders there. Choosing not to take the scope was almost a major blunder.
I arrived to find the main flash almost devoid of birds. I couldn't see any Little Ringed Plovers on the stony field (the scope might have helped as I've since heard there were three on Tuesday). There was a distant Little Egret well beyond the flash. I headed for the overspill flash.
A Willow Warbler was singing, but after negotiating the flooded ditch which crosses the footpath, the water almost over the top of my wellies, I was faced with more disappointment. Just eight Teal and no waders.
Returning to the main flash I saw that there were now two egrets present. The new bird looked less dazzlingly white than the original. My heart started to thump a little quicker as I realised I also couldn't see any long plumes sprouting from its back. You cannot enter the field, so my only option was the camera. Through the zoomed in lens I could see it had a pale bill. I was sure this was the Cattle Egret I had twitched at Arrow Valley Lake a week and a half ago.
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| Cattle Egret (just about qualifies as a record shot) |
Ironically this does not get on any of my lists. I don't have one for Mappleborough Green Flash (perhaps I need to think about that), its not a year tick, not a Warwickshire tick, and it probably doesn't qualify as a find as it was a re-find of the Arrow Valley Lake bird.
A visit to Earlswood Lakes on Tuesday coincided with a bright sunny morning, which explains why I still haven't seen a Sand Martin yet this year. The nearest thing to a highlight was seeing and hearing the mixed-singer Willow Warbler at Engine Pool.
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| The Willow Warbler at Earlswood on Tuesday |
The Cattle Egret is slowly getting closer to Morton Bagot. The farmer needs to put his cows to pasture.
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