Saturday 27 December 2014

Lesser Yellowlegs

Scotney Pits  - cold, cloudy, nw 4 - 1030hrs -  En-route to Rye a quick check of the pits from the road revealed the usual feral geese and two Black-necked Grebes, plus plenty of Wigeon and Lapwings on the grass,
Pett Levels - Initially our quarry wasn't showing so we parked at Toots Rock and walked down to Carter`s Flood checking the fields on the way, but there was little of note apart from Curlews, Redshanks, Lapwings, Wigeon, Common Gulls, five Blackwits, a Marsh Harrier, two Kestrels and several Dabchicks on the main road side pools. However, a  call from OL told us that the Lesser Yellowlegs  had reappeared further down the road towards Winchelsea Beach, but by the time we arrived it had flown off a short way. However, eventually it popped up from one of the field ditches alongside a couple of Redshanks and a pack of Wigeon where it gave distant, yet adequate, scope views. We didn't hang about long though as the biting northerly wind made for uncomfortable viewing, so we retired to the nearby café for tea and carrot cake, and very tasty it was too.
Walland Marsh - Crossing the Marsh on the way home delivered little apart from distant views of the wild swans and Bean Geese at Horse Bones farm, plus a couple of flocks of winter thrushes (mostly Fieldfares) and plenty of Blackbirds beside the lane.
Lade  - News of a 1st winter Glaucous Gull heading our way (courtesy of PB) had us scurrying down the boardwalk to check the gulls flying down the beach, but it was not to be. Apparently, the bird had been seen this afternoon along the foreshore between the lifeboat station and opposite the Kerton Road junction of Coast Drive.
Anyhow I`m not complaining as Lesser Yellowlegs is a rare bird in these parts and another species to my extended `Marsh` bird list, not that I`m year listing of course...

No comments:

Post a Comment