After that introduction I was not expecting the triple whammy my patch dealt me today. The first was my first record of Purple Bar in my garden trap after a very mild night and brings my garden total to 293 macro species and 128 micro species.
Purple Bar - record shot before it escaped
The second was the Great White Egret that turned up at Brandon Marsh mid-day which unfortunately I was not aware of for a few hours as I was in a poor mobile reception area of the pond and missed the many calls from John, Terry, Colin and others which I greatly appreciate. Luckily I did not need it for my Warwickshire or patch list but if it stays then it’s got to be worth a peek.
Finally the third and the most mind blowing was the Montagu’s Harrier that literally fell out of the sky as the heavens opened at Draycote Water. First sighted over the leam valley dropping like a stone it then flew low over rainbow corner, along draycote bank and appeared to be heading for shelter in the trees surrounding Bourton Hall but instead carried on in a north westerly direction keeping low and avoiding the corvids that were following it. This was my first record for the pond and I haven’t stopped smiling since. The bird an immature male looked very bedraggled indicating it had already spent some time trying to get past the weather front responsible for its appearance.
Also present were Goosander female, Black Tern, 2 Grey Wagtail, 10+ Yellow Wagtail and another 30+ on the adjacent golf course, Wheatear, 2 Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Sparrowhawk, Treecreeper, 13 Long-tailed Tit, Green Woodpecker, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap, 6 Swift, Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper.
Richard
1 comment:
Hi there was a monty at burrow hill leicestershire all all last wk. wonder if it the same bird
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