A flight of Curlews

Lade - 1000hrs - mild, cloudy, sw 6 - Another blustery day, but at least it was dry and with plenty of sunshine, while South lake had taken on the appearance of a small sea complete with white-topped waves. However, in the shelter of the ponds insect activity attracted several Chiffchaffs, and a Kestrel that attempted, unsuccessfully, to catch Migrant Hawker dragonflies. Five Swallows zipped over the ponds hurrying southwards.
Just for once I was in the right place at the right time when the Curlew flock drifted over from the bay, en-route to their roost site on the Desert. For five or six minutes they flew overhead, strangely silent, enabling an accurate count of 326 birds.

                               Curlews, Lade

ARC - An afternoon visit  to the Screen hide revealed very little apart from a distant Great White Egret and a Marsh Harrier sheltering from the wind. Over the road the Cattle Egret was still present amongst the cows at Boulderwall.