The Bagsy Blog: Waders of the Lost Arc

Wednesday, 6 July 2016

Waders of the Lost Arc - Revisited I

A combination of time in the field, the number of images/videos and the editing thereof, prevented us bringing you last Sunday's report on the day. To redress, we will bring that most interesting day to you in Two Parts in an attempt to catch up! From the Moth Traps we saw 2 new additions to the Year List in the shape of a most elegant

SHARK
and

only our second ever

SMALL DOTTED BUFF
also thought of interest was a

much darker than usual
WILLOW BEAUTY

2 examples of shade variation in the immigrant

GEM
before heading back to Slight Return II

and surely made it just in time. It was thought that the rain might put an

end to the day but things quickly brightened up and we were on the road again.

We have been watching and waiting for these Plants to bloom and while

BLACK HOREHOUND

is not that impressive

the start of the Thistle Season should soon change that

CREEPING THISTLE

these being one of my favoured Families in the

Plant Kingdom.

On our way to the Irrigation Pond where the pair of Coot
are still trying to produce a family we at long last found proof that

STOCK DOVE (juvenile)
do in fact breed in our Recording Area. There has never been any doubt
that they do but obtaining concrete evidence, via a group of c4 youngsters,
now firmly puts this one to bed.
On the face of it there seemed little to keep us at the Pond but about to leave
a movement caught the eye! In the margins was spotted a feeding

GREEN SANDPIPER
which on evidence gleaned over the past few days

may just be one of a trio of these Waders seen at various locations.
Having had our fill and with nothing else to keep us there it was quickly on to the

Gravel Pit

where we were met with a most familiar call, that of a

REDSHANK

which took over 5 minutes to locate and then found to be c2.

This elegant Wader has only ever been recorded here a single time,

when in April 2014 c4 graced the very same spot. Also in line with

those previous visitors, these 2 also quickly took to the wing and seemingly

headed purposefully south, so we continued our search.

At the Sewerage Works there was still no sign of a returning Grey Wagtail
but we did find this

SNAIL
which we cannot put an identification to, the possibilities are
Kentish, a species that has not been recorded here, alternatively
White-lipped or Brown-lipped?

This discarded EGG was of interest as on location there was a good
chance of it being that of a Bullfinch.

Closer examination showed none of the light purple suffusion around the
black spots, which would have pointed to the Finch, so we concluded
that it was a
SONG THRUSH
Onward to our usual rounds of the Heath and so few were they that we are happy
to note all of the Birds recorded in full.
Stonechat, Swallow, Green Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Chiffchaff,
Blackcap, Willow Warbler, pheasant, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Mallard,
a poor showing.
REPTILES
however were quite another matter and from under our
dozen or so covers we recorded

c13

SLOW WORM

c6
SMOOTH SNAKE
and at long, long last a First For The Year

GRASS SNAKE

From here we did head directly for the
ECO RECYCLING PLANT
taking full advantage of the fact that it was Sunday and making
the most of the absence of the workforce. However, that part of
our report will make up Part II of Waders of the Lost Arc.

Getting that little bit ahead of ourselves we decided to revisit first, the Gravel Pit and then the Irrigation Pond in the hope of relocating the Redshank, which very luckily we did at the latter. Just standing static at first before becoming a little more active and, as will be heard on the final video clip, also vocal.

REDSHANK

On the way back a stop at the only couple of acres on Parley Court Farm that might pass as Heath Land, not much of it and being overgrown, but it does attract some interesting Insects from time to time. On the day it was the turn of