Sunday 2 September 2007

Belvide - all quiet on the wader front

Did I fancy a few hours at Belvide? With Long-eared Owl and Osprey seen recently plus the chance of a wader or two, it seemed like a good idea. So I joined Cheryl Davis, Martin and Kath George for what turned out to be a 'quiet' session with hardly a wader and certainly no rarities in sight..... But we did see Green and Common Sandpiper, Snipe plus a few Common Terns, Pintail, well in excess of 100 Gadwall, ditto GC Grebe - all too distant for a lens. So, attention (for pics) had to turn to common birds with youngsters in particular catching the eye. Chiffchaff, Tree Sparrow and a Marsh Tit were well within range. A floating creche held a very happy family of Tufted Duck and two juvenile Great-crested Grebes which were busy practising the art of courtship display - difficult to capture the 'moves' in a still frame but they certainly learn young at Belvide and it proves - there's always something to see when there's 'nothing around', you just have to keep looking.....