Saturday 14 July 2012

Ringlet of rank water

Out this morning after a week of torment. After Thursdays rain water levels continue to rise and the roads are breached in five or six places. The range track is 100m of wellie top deep water and has a horrible petrol like glaze on the surface from what source I'm not sure but it smells natural stinky more than hydrocarbon. Ringlets were again in good number joined by a couple of Meadow Brown. 
The horse paddocks to the left of this shot are inundated and held about 200 Black headed Gulls of which 30 or so were juveniles. Many Swifts fed over the water and an unseen raptor must have passed by as the Oytercatcher pair went into commotion and all the birds lifted to reveal 21 Curlew and 23 Tufted Duck amongst the throng.
At the top of the lane, one of four Grasshopper Warblers I have found in the last week reeled and was joined by another further down the track. This bird is, unusually for Prestwick Carr, in a bush close to the lane and I spent a fruitless half hour on Wednesday trying to get a view of the little blighter. Today I managed this after a few minutes peering into the bush from only ten feet away.
Well hardly award winning but definately a Gropper and just to prove it........

The bird is on the left hand side of the screen with apologies for the shakes. Pretty craptastic quality but a nice record.
Further rewards on my return trip when I finally spotted a Common Sandpiper that I have been hearing but not seeing for days. That's 103 up and reports of another Eagle about!
PS Anybody on my patch in the next few weeks keep an eye out for a small white van with rogues and lurchers suspected of pinching the Goat mans hens!

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