Exactly five months since I joined the ranks of the unemployed/retired and it has flown by. Yesterday (Monday) I arrived early at Middleton Lakes RSPB. It was good but bloody cold, we might not have had much of a winter but the shorts are staying pack away at the moment.
Bird wise it was good with a smattering of waders, not major but not to be sniffed at. A distant Godwit I found on Jubilee Wetland turned out to be a Black-tailed when someone dropped a scope on it. It was feeding in deep water so the leg length wasn’t obvious. There was also Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, 2 Oystercatcher and 4 Redshank.
Today I had to drop the car at the garage and so I walked along the river and spent the day at Ladywalk. There were good numbers of Chiffchaff singing with at least ten birds, but they may well have been the birds that have been there all winter.
On the Reserve there was a Curlew, Redshank and two Oystercatcher. I also saw a Willow Tit outside B hide and I then made my way to Riverwalk hide where I met Bob Duckhouse. Another gentleman in the hide said he could hear Lesser Spot drumming. I found out that Bob and I have something in common – we are both deaf! I already knew that I was! I could vaguely make out something distantly so after spending a further five minutes discussing what car or cars to get in Shetland we both decided that we had better check out this drumming! As we made our way around, it started again this time two things 1. We were closer, I could hear it; and 2. It was Lesser Spotted Woodpecker as species I hadn’t seen so far this year.
Another 100 yards and the drumming was really close it could only be coming from a couple of trees then I picked up a female as it flew from one perch to another. The drumming continued but I just could not connect with the male, but with time pressing I had to move on, but left satisfied.
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