Monday 5th September

Had a great day today, birded the reservoir this morning and attended my sons graduation from University this afternoon (proud dad) – I suppose that is when you know you are getting on in life – anyway – goodbye education system!!!

I digress, I arrived at just before 10am and there was a familiar face in his familiar spot. It was Steve Haynes I imagine that at least 50% of the time I have had occasion to meet him he has been surrounded by an invisible force field that restricts him to a 15 metre area of concrete slabs by the car park. Anyway with his usual dry sense of humour he informed me that there was a good bird present! I instantly thought, Tern or Duck, I scanned the water and there were loads of hirundines predominately House Martin, eventually I picked up a Black Tern and said out loud “Black Tern” to which he exclaimed “Where”! Confusing me – easy enough done.

I remember when I first moved to the area years ago I knew Steve vaguely and met him at Coton when over a five minute period three Kingfishers flew past. He turned to me and said “They are Roding” he didn’t crack his face, he confused me then and still does!

After leaving Steve I walked around and didn’t see an awful lot but there must have been 300+ House Martin, 100 Swallow, 30 Sand Martin and 3 Swift. It was a little windy but I had around double figures of Blackcap and Chiffchaff. The field adjacent Bixhill Lane held a lot of finches and I have been informed by Steve Cawthray that he had a Tree Sparrow in that area which is a first for the year.

Anyway I met the aforementioned Steve Cawthray on the car park and there was a Hobby hawking insects over the water there were two birds one adult and a juvenile probably the ones I have been seeing at home. Anyway as we were talking a Peregrine flew in headed in the general direction of Hams Hall, that bird was an immature male although Steve thought it possibily a female (or was it the other way round). Anyway a couple of minutes later a male Peregrine flew in and made a pass at the Black Tern, not in a romantic way you understand!

Next, just to prove that Steve Haynes is not the only person with the ability to confuse I related the story of the probable Spotted Redshank last week that the Captain and I had, I could see he had a confused look on his face, and realised that I had said Spotted Sandpiper, see easily done.