City Challenge update: What a day!!
Following news the previous evening of a Female Ring Ouzel at Aylestone Meadows and with my day off from work the first port of call was Aylestone Meadows.
Meeting up with Mark Andrews and Roger Davis on site it wasn't long before I increased my city year list in the form of a singing Lesser Whitethroat, a fly-by Red Kite (GET IN!!) and then finally the female Ring Ouzel as it flew across the horse paddocks by the King's Lock Cottage.
Pleased with the tally so far I then cycled through the Meadows hoping for a Gropper, but instead found a Garden Warbler singing near the Mill Lane Entrance (Another year tick!). A brief stop near the boardwalk resulted in no sign of the Groppers, so it was off to Watermead CP South.
Hoping for some Terns at Watermead, I slowly scannned around the main lake, when suddenly I noticed what looked like a smaller swan with the other Mute Swans. Hang about this is a Bewick's Swan I thought!! GET IN!! A Soar Valley tick and City tick to boot!
Phoning John Hague, Mark Skev and Birdnet I let them know of the sighting.
As I only had my bins with me at the time I cycled back home to pick up my scope and camera and a spot of lunch.
Whilst eating my lunch I got phone call from John to let me know that Ken Goodrich had found 2 Wood Sandpipers at Birstall Meadows!!
So finishing my lunch it was off to Birstall Meadows.
Arriving on-site the two Wood Sandpipers were showing very well on the nearby shoreline, so as you can imagine I took a few record shots of the Sandpipers.
Meeting up with Mark Andrews and Roger Davis on site it wasn't long before I increased my city year list in the form of a singing Lesser Whitethroat, a fly-by Red Kite (GET IN!!) and then finally the female Ring Ouzel as it flew across the horse paddocks by the King's Lock Cottage.
Pleased with the tally so far I then cycled through the Meadows hoping for a Gropper, but instead found a Garden Warbler singing near the Mill Lane Entrance (Another year tick!). A brief stop near the boardwalk resulted in no sign of the Groppers, so it was off to Watermead CP South.
Hoping for some Terns at Watermead, I slowly scannned around the main lake, when suddenly I noticed what looked like a smaller swan with the other Mute Swans. Hang about this is a Bewick's Swan I thought!! GET IN!! A Soar Valley tick and City tick to boot!
Phoning John Hague, Mark Skev and Birdnet I let them know of the sighting.
As I only had my bins with me at the time I cycled back home to pick up my scope and camera and a spot of lunch.
Whilst eating my lunch I got phone call from John to let me know that Ken Goodrich had found 2 Wood Sandpipers at Birstall Meadows!!
So finishing my lunch it was off to Birstall Meadows.
Arriving on-site the two Wood Sandpipers were showing very well on the nearby shoreline, so as you can imagine I took a few record shots of the Sandpipers.
Wood Sandpiper at Birstall Meadows
Another shot of one of the Wood Sands at Birstall Meadows!
Happy with the shots I took of the Sandpipers I then nipped back to Watermead CP South to take photos of the Bewick's Swan.
More to follow shortly....
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