Tuesday August 18 - Morton Bagot ....and then Earlswood

 Another quiet morning at the patch. It was largely cloudy for once, with a moderate westerly. There seemed to be markedly fewer warblers than a week ago, so they're starting to clear out. Noteworthy birds were a Peregrine on a pylon, and a Tufted Duck in flight over the flash field.

A flock of 50 Greylag Geese had no rare geese with them (the Tundra Bean Goose is still being reported occasionally at Arrow Valley Lake), while ducks were represented by six Teal and a few Mallard. Most of the waders had to be scoped from the top of the hill as they still favour the furthest flash, but in any case they were just five Green Sandpipers and a couple of Snipe. There are still two Stonechats on the tree-guards, but no sign of any Whinchats.

Never mind, my new found enthusiasm for trying to identify plants added a few species to my list, the best being Cyperus Sedge. I am inputting my plants onto irecord again (although I've never seen any evidence that anyone adjudicates on them).

Cyperus Sedge

One good thing about looking for plants is that you sometimes notice interesting insects. Today I added the very common (in my garden) Light Brown Apple Moth to the patch list, and also saw a hoverfly Helophilus pendulus which it turned out I'd seen here before.

Light Brown Apple Moth

Helophilus pendulus

Shortly after I had typed out the above, John Oates Whatsapp'd with news he'd found a Sanderling at Earlswood. I had seen the one there in May, but even so the chance of another one was too much to pass up.

I parked at the Wood Lane carpark at 15:30, noting to my dismay the sign saying it would close at 16:00. Unaware that this never happens, and that in any case I would have been able to leave, I was probably too rushed and was unable to find the bird. Fortunately I decided to drive across the causeway and enter the Malthouse carpark, where the sign says it closes at 20:00. This time I got the encouraging sight of a calidrid sp flying along Engine Pool, but too distant to be sure it was the Sanderling.

Things then got even crazier as I retraced my steps from down the Wood Lane side from the car-park. John texted that 10 Black-tailed Godwits had dropped onto the lake I was at. The walk down that side consists of a series of gaps, followed by yards of willows. I lengthened my stride, and found the Sanderling by looking through one of the gaps in the foliage.

Sanderling

I got a quick shot of the bird, an adult, before continuing towards the south end where the Godwits were...or had been. Another text from John; they were now off the Wood lane carpark. This was getting annoying. I hurriedly retraced my steps, almost stepping on a Brown Rat which dashed across my path, before finally seeing the Godwits.

Most of the Black-tailed Godwits

They were all juveniles, and I managed eight in the same shot. By now I was under considerable time pressure and had to head home without locating the Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers which were also there.

Many thanks to John for finding the birds. They reminded me just how exciting autumn migration can be (just not at Morton Bagot).