Bittern

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, NW 3 - It was something of a relief to feel a fresh breeze out of the north this morning clearing away the humidity and thunderstorms of yesterday. A circuit of the local patch confirmed a clear-out of wildfowl since Monday`s visit with Pochard and Coot numbers down to around a more normal 300 and 200 respectively. Many of the grebe chicks had noticeable increased in size, testimony to the abundance of fish on offer, while two Common Sandpipers flitted around the margins of south lake. On the migrant front a few Swallows and Sand Martins pulsed through and several Common Whitethroats, Willow and Reed Warblers were present in cover by the ponds. Scanning from the bridge I picked up what at first I thought to be a large raptor drifting in from the south, but as it approached it morphed into a Bittern which then flew over the site for a full five minutes before dropping into the main reedbed.

                                  Common Sandpiper, south lake

                                  Ted drying out after a swim

It was busy around the garden moth trap last night with another 30 species haul of macros this morning including several new for the season with Green Carpet the highlight.