NDC - a proper visit

I needed a decent session.

I arrived at 10am and stayed until 4pm. The weather was still cool (10c) but it was dry and visibility was good. A few warblers had arrived and were singing away heartily. I recorded Chiffchaff (5), Willow Warbler (3), Blackcap (3) and Lesser Whitethroat.

Onto the hides. I decided to have a stretch with the lad and we made our way down to Garganey Hide. I'd been keeping an eye on what was arriving nationally and I was hoping something "good" may have arrived here. I opened the flap and started to scan.  I love the view here. A natural flood meadow and there's always more to it than meets the eye.

Today however something met the eye immediately. The hoped for Black-tailed Godwits! 60 of them. Having to travel back these days my visits are obviously fewer, so I was chuffed to bits to connect with these lovely birds as they used NDC as a staging post. I've seen a few decent flocks over the years but you have to be lucky. This fact was emphasised as they departed high to the north within 5 minutes of finding them...

A great start.

Other highlights of the morning were a distant Buzzard, four Oystercatchers, 2 Lesser black-backed Gulls, 6 Yellowhammers and 2 Stock Doves. The most pleasing aspect of the morning though was the presence of at least 10 pairs of Lapwing on territory. I never tire of watching their amazing aerobatic, rolling and tumbling display flight and their amazing "pee-wit" call is just something else. Right up there on my list of favourite species.

I returned to the Geoff Smith hide for lunch.

Nothing else of note was seen so early afternoon we returned to Garganey hide. Alas, no Garganey today nor Black-necked Grebe but a Little Egret was a nice addition to the day list. The birds had seemed agitated a few times during the morning which can mean the presence of a raptor. On this occasion this theory proved to be correct...

Peregrine

I enjoyed another hour before departing to the sound of the Curlew.

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Greater Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
European Teal (Anas crecca)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
Coot (Fulica atra)
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata)
Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)
Lesser Black-backed_ Gull (Larus fuscus)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus argentatus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)
Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)
Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)
Great Tit (Parus major major)
Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica)
Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

55 species seen. Year total 63

Phil had a nice encounter with a pair of displaying LRP the other day...