Waders of the Lost Arc - Revisited II

While today's Post, the second and final part of the Waders Saga, once again harks back to Sunday there are initially a few Moths to catch up with including 3 additions to the Year List.

 CLAY

TOADFLAX PUG

 and the enormously variable, both in

size and

pattern

COMMON RUSTIC

 2 completely differing examples of

 RIBAND WAVE
which was first caught much earlier in the year
and

SMOKY WAINSCOT
ditto.

While 'full permission' has been granted to enter the

ECO RECYCLING WORKS

at any time of the day or night, Sunday is undoubtedly the best time.
Rarely is there work in progress on that day so no need to keep a
weather eye open for diggers, tractors, bulldozers and all other plant
but access now necessitates driving the full length of the

 NEW BUND,
 which is changing rapidly as the vegetation takes hold, followed by a
walk of some 200 yards over terrain not even suitable for a
Strange Rover.
 The disadvantage to this, compared to taking the vehicular access via the main gate,
 is that it may disturb the Wildlife, but so used has it become to all comings and goings,
plus the noise, that little attention is paid to human activity.
Our first target on the day was to spend a little time monitoring the

  SAND MARTIN BANK
which was met with great delight

with there not only being an increase from the last count of 29 to 33
NEST HOLES
but also that most of them are still active.

 Young birds enjoying what little sun there was,

 flexing growing wings and

keeping obbo for Mum and Dad returning with the groceries!

Shall We Stay or Shall We Go?
It won't be long either way!

Hardly having to move from that spot we started crossing the

hard-standing areas,

with soils and gravel of varying grades and sizes,
which is where we heard, and then saw, our first

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER
of the day and which made up our 'third' Wader Species.
In company with a Pied Wagtail (distant) this pair looked rather like
an adult (center) with a juvenile in the foreground.
Beyond this is a large area of rubble strewn land, an ideal habitat for these Plovers,
so it was no surprise to here even more 'calling' with a series of shots being taken in rapid succession.

 However many there was much activity both

 in flight and running on the ground

 making an accurate count mighty difficult, or maybe more simply impossible.

A good deal of time was spent concentrating on accuracy, but finally
we could only ascertain that the number was upwards of 10 individuals.
Very little vehicular activity takes place in this area but what has ensued in the past,
and mostly behind the

 SOIL SEPARATOR,

 have left ruts now filled with rainwater and of great benefit to all birds with

 MALLARD

 having brought off at least

 3 broods of

DUCKLINGS

already this year and a sanctuary for what are thought to be

NONE-BREEDING BIRDS
This area is also an ideal breeding site for the 4th and final of our
WADERS

  LAPWING

 which have already brought off Chicks here this season
 but it would seem

 we were getting a little to close to this one

 so

Beat a Hasty Retreat.
While things were so quiet the opportunity was taken to look through some of the
Sheds and other out-buildings where Stock Dove and possibly Feral Pigeon
are 'thought' to nest and where firstly a

CASUALTY
was found which looks rather like a Blackbird????

 SWALLOW

(juveniles)
most certainly nest here as do

HOUSE MARTIN

and so we come to the end of our most interesting
Sunday at the Tip

 with the warm feeling of knowing that all 3 of the British Hirundines
procreate here, Little Ringed Plover numbers have reached 'double figures'
for the first time while Lapwing, it might be thought unusual, lag behind somewhat.

The Final Word

goes to

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

Entry

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