Weekend Whinchat & Waders

Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th May 2012
Male Whinchat
The morning high tide at Fretherne/Saul Warth on Saturday produced a large number of hirundines, mainly House Martins, plus two Swifts, and a good selection of waders feeding on the mud either side of the tide with a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Oystercatchers, 14 Grey Plovers, 35 Knot, three Whimbrels, 20 Curlews, two Turnstones, a Sanderling and c300 each Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Other migrants included two Hobbies, perched on the rocks north of Hock Ditch, 1+ Yellow Wagtails, five Wheatears including a Greenland ssp., and a Whinchat.
Male Whinchat
Male Wheatears
Male Greenland Wheatear
Bar-tailed Godwit
Hobbies
Swallow
There was no sign of yesterday's Black-necked Grebe at CWP pit 125 this morning. A search around the lake produced a Garden Warbler, eight Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, c60 Sand Martins, c20 Swallows, two House Martins, four Swifts and 16 Common Terns. Two Grey Partridges were north of Meysey Hampton.
Grey Partridges (bird on right hiding!)
A few garden insect photos from the weekend (I do love my 100m macro!):
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Orange Tip
Orange Tip
Red Mason Bee
 

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