September 2nd 2010

It was a chilly start at the pond with no wind but gradually warming up to 25c in the afternoon with a light north easterly wind developing mid-day. Some moron has vandalized the hide in toft bay and it is now out of use till repairs are carried out.

Farborough bank looking north with a distant hot air balloon that slowly tried to pass the reservoir very early morning but had to come down behind the purification plant

Birds seen today included:-
Curlew Sandpiper adult and 3 juveniles on hensborough bank
Sanderling juvenile still on hensborough bank
Ringed Plover 12 (8 hensborough and 4 toft bay)
Dunlin 6 all on hensborough bank
Green Sandpiper 2 arrived in toft bay 7:30am
Curlew one over calling heading south 8am
Common Sandpiper 3

Sanderling by Dave Hutton

Adult moulting Curlew Sandpiper by Dave Hutton

Curlew Sandpiper by Dave Hutton
All the hensborough waders were flighty with a lot of interaction among the plovers including partial display.


Waders in flight by Max Silverman

Garganey juvenile off hensborough bank seen with Terry and Mo drifted towards inlet but not found when looked for later.
Little Egret 4 in toft bay soon moved on thanks to grockles walking the shore-line
Goosander female near valve tower
Shelduck juvenile toft bay
Wheatear juvenile on swallow bank
Red Kite one showed 3x early morning flying low between Birdingbury and Bourton Hall
Hobby over country park
Nuthatch calling again from below farborough bank
Spotted Flycatcher in toft bay
Also
Common Tern, adult and juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 9 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, 2 Meadow Pipit, Garden Warbler, Egyptian Goose, 11 Wigeon, 27 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Grey Wagtail, 8 Stock Dove and a Swift.

Moths
Gold Spot, Common Wainscot, Flounced Rustic, 2 Brimstone and 2 Red Underwing
Dragonflies
Migrant Hawker and Southern Hawker
Butterflies
2 Red Admiral, 10 Large White, 3 Green-veined White, 3 Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brimstone and Comma.

Richard