August 8th 2010

A pair of Bullfinch greeted our early arrival at Draycote village but little else was seen as we made our way to the valve tower then a walk along draycote, swallow and saddle bank to the outlet. A Little Egret was among the post roost Black-headed Gulls loafing on draycote bank and the female Goosander, 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 juvenile Little Ringed Plover were on the inlet. As we searched for warblers by the inlet channel a Quail called twice at 7:15am from the cereal field behind but the high hedge and height of the cereal ruled out any chance of seeing it. Last time I saw or heard a Quail at Draycote Water was in 1995.
Continued on to inlet where we had 3 more Common Sandpiper, 4 Dunlin and 3 Common Tern before returning to the village adding 3 Green woodpecker, 3 Willow Warbler and female Gadwall to the list.
As we entered the village we found 2 Spotted Flycatcher and 3 Nuthatch just yards away from the Draycote Water perimeter but as we were on the wrong side of the fence they can’t count towards my pond records, shame that as Nuthatch are rarer then hens teeth at the pond.

After breakfast we moved on to Brandon Marsh but the place was great disappointment with only Green Sandpiper, Jay, 4 Buzzard and Great-spotted Woodpecker for our efforts, plenty of butterflies around and one Vapourer Moth. On the way home there were 9 Raven and 13 Buzzards over Lawford Heath.

Richard