Knots on the bay

 Lade - warm, dry, cloudy, sw 4 - The past few days on the local patch has seen some impressive movements of hirundines over the lakes, mostly Swallows, plus a couple of tardy Swifts. Little Egrets and Grey Herons are taking advantage of the numerous shallows in which to fish, while Tufted Duck numbers have risen to over 300. The bushes continue to attract smart Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats and there was even one of the latter in the garden fir trees yesterday. Overhead, and grounded on the Desert, Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits are on the move during the morning, along with the occasional Grey Wagtail and Tree Pipit, so fairly standard early autumn fare.

                     Basking Foxes yesterday by the lakes

                     Knots and Bar-tailed Godwit on the bay

  On the beach this afternoon on a falling tide 320 Knots feeding close to shore provided a cracking spectacle along with a few Bar-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plovers and Turnstones. Further out a flock of 55 raucous Sandwich Terns loafed on the sands.