Monday July 7 - Morton Bagot and Earlswood Lakes

Yesterday was a day of showers, and the forecast was enough to put Dave off. In fact, my visit to Morton Bagot was largely a dry affair until I got caught out by a thunderstorm ten minutes before the end.

There were some good signs. A Grasshopper Warbler was singing near the dragonfly pools (although I couldn't see it), and two parties of Swifts totalling 44 birds headed south-west. Autumn really is here as far as the birds are concerned, and to emphasise the point I found that there are now 10 Green Sandpipers on the nearest flash as well as a Little Ringed Plover and a Kingfisher. 

But the real action happened this morning. I happened to awake early, and found it had just stopped raining. Surely Earlswood would be worth a punt? I decided to go, and I'm glad I did.

The first wader to claim my attention was a Redshank at the corner of Windmill Pool by the causeway. Despite being disturbed by early morning dog walkers it kept returning to the same spot, and I can't help suspecting that it's the same bird as was seen on June 12 and once since, though this begs the question where has it been in the meantime. Perhaps it is a new bird.

But this was just the hors d'oeuvre. After making my way across the causeway I scanned the shore off Wood Lane car park and discovered two summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits. These were my first this year, and also a site tick.

I put the news out and managed to complete a circuit of Engine Pool without spooking them, but despite this only Janet managed to arrive in time to see them before they went. Unfortunately no-one seems to have witnessed their departure so I don't know which way they went, but presumably it was southwards away from their breeding grounds in Iceland.

I didn't have very long to scan for other birds but noticed at least seven Sand Martins and a few Swifts, both species which tend to leave early.

What a brilliant morning.

PS: I've subsequently discovered that there was a mass arrival of Black-tailed Godwits across West Midlands waters today, with 29 at Belvide Res, 28 at Upton Warren, four at Upper Bittell Res, and others at Middleton RSPB, Ladywalk, and Branston. And that's just the one's I've read about. I love it when "your birds" are part of a bigger picture. The only down side is that I wasn't able to get to Morton Bagot, so that will have gone unwatched.