Swallows and a Honey Buzzard

Lade - 1030hrs - warm, dry, cloudy, ne 2 - Once the guests had departed we did a circuit of the local patch where this autumns` first large scale movement of Swallows was underway with hundreds of birds feeding over the lakes and shingle ridges. Every so often a group would rise up high and head south only to be replaced by more birds streaming in from the north. As always a moving sight and hopefully the first of many such days to come.
A trickle of Yellow Wagtails and Mipits also passed over, plus our first local Grey Wagtail of the year, and two Wheatears on the Desert. A flock of 50 small waders whipped over south lake from the west comprising mostly Ringed Plovers along with a few Dunlin and Sanderling, while around the willow swamp several Common Whitethroats, Reed and Willow warblers noted. The highlight on north lake, for about ten minutes, was two Black Terns.
In the humid atmosphere a Clouded Yellow flew over the ponds and up to 10 Common Blues were on the wing along the main track. Back home in the Plovers garden the insect interest continued with Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Painted Lady, Holly Blue and Speckled Wood all visiting the various nectar-rich flowers.
Lydd Allotment  - This afternoon whilst toiling away picking beans, cobs and flowers on the allotment several Tweets alerted us to a small movement of Honey Buzzards crossing the peninsula, and low and behold it wasn't long before one flew over being mobbed by a crow - oh, the wonders of social media, thanks PB!
ARC - Plenty of activity here too with the juv White-winged Tern still out over the lake amongst 5 Black Terns and hundreds of Swallows and martins. Waders included Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Ruff, Knot and Redshank, plus the usual Golden Plovers and Lapwings, while the bushes down towards the pines held two Spotted Flycatchers, a Lesser Whitethroat and several Willow Warblers. Two Ravens flew through and several parties of Yellow Wagtails headed south.