After last Saturdays morning count Banks Pond turned up Tufted Duck, Coot and Little Grebe returned to the patch although the Tufties never stay for breeding. The pain of a week of work was tempered by the thought of Friday but the eclipse was pretty craptastic from my viewpoint so after doing my duties I obtained a late pass for the evening. The shorties are still reluctant to fly but probably two still present as a Crow reportedly flushed them early in the afternoon. I headed up the bumpy road to the west end in search of Wheatear but none were found. The flock of Golden Plover were still hopping about the flooded fields with a couple of Lapwing on territory and were joined by the Curlew flock which grew to 84 over the course of the evening. An Oystercatcher called and a solitary Dunlin and five Greylag Geese were flushed before I headed for Eland Hall where at 6.00pm my target, the pair of Barn Owls, rushed past me heading toward the Carr for their evening meal.
I returned having spoken to Bill (who despite still suffering from Tinnitus appears slightly better for those who have enquired) and he reported a male Wheatear near Holmes' muck heap but it was dark before I got there and the eclipsed sun set.
My Saturday morning count rapidly turned up 41 species but a female Chiffchaff calling for a mate was the only addition to the list.
Mothing has been poor due to the cold nights with Common Quaker the only macro and the wonderfully named Hofmannophila pseudospretella an early micro.
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