Due to other priorities Ornisobscura has been on the back burner for a while, hence the late postings.
2 June 2013 - Lammas Meadow
The first visit of the month was to the doorstep patch of Lammas Meadow an area of seasonally flooded meadow along the Great Ouse. Numerous Southern Marsh Orchid spikes were an impressive sight all across the still very wet meadow. While nine singing Reed Warblers and a singing Lesser Whitethroat were establishing territories 2 Spotted Flycatchers at the south end of the copse were still on the move.
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| Reed Warbler - Lammas Meadow |
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| Southern Marsh Orchid |
The highlights of a three hour balcony sky-watch in the afternoon were 2 Hobbies through north and an Osprey north-west.
5 June 2013 - Ouse Washes
A cool overcast morning with a northerly breeze. A total of 9 adult Garganey (5 males) included a pair with three small ducklings which appeared on open water briefly before being ushered back onto the nesting sedge tussock by the attentive and vocal female.
Garganey family - Ouse Washes
A variety of waders present included migrating birds that had stopped off mingling with those breeding on the Washes with their first chicks now appearing. 6 Little Ringed Plovers were busy displaying; 37 Ringed Plovers included 28 obvious tundrae 6 obvious hiaticula and 3 that were intermediate in appearance; 9 Lapwing chicks; 11 Dunlin included 4 schinzii, 6 alpina and one very small squat short-billed bird with very pale scapular fringes and a small indistinct belly patch that could well have been race arctica; 3 Curlew Sandpipers comprised two in full brick red breeding dress and a third bird with just a few red bands on the underparts presumably a first-summer bird; c.45 adult Redshank were counted with 11 juveniles; 11 Black-tailed Godwits and 16 Snipe some of which were busy drumming.
Two cream crown Marsh Harriers and two Hobbies were the notable raptors. A LIttle Tern flew through north mid morning.
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| Little Tern - Ouse Washes June 2013 |
A flock of c280 House Martins were over Welches Dam were the only noteworthy passerines, Yellow Wagtails were in short supply with just 9 counted.
7 June - Grafham Water
Another day with a fresh northerly wind but brighter than earlier in the week, a good morning for admiring the view being rather quiet on the bird front, two hours at the Dam and Lagoons were enough.
An Oystercatcher and an alpina race Dunlin were on the Dam, 2 Red Kites; c. 200 Swifts; 1 Cetti's Warbler was singing at the lagoons as were 6 Willow Warblers. 2 Spotted Flycatchers were probably the highlight.
8 June - Lammas Meadow
Cloudy and cool with a fresh northerly wind with early mist, two early morning hours
A Nightingale was obliging singing from scrub along the Great Ouse; 3 Lesser Whitethroats were singing and c. 30 Common Terns flew along the river north-eastwards in several groups.
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NIghtingale singing in early morning mist
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Late June - Grafham
Following a trip away, made several visits to Grafham in the last two weeks of June during a rather quiet period:
On the June 18th 3 Yellow-legged Gulls were present, just 15 juvenile Pied Wagtails on the dam and 71 Gadwall were already gathering on the Lagoons indicative of poor breeding success for both species, meanwhile c 600 Swifts doubtless included migrants.
A pair of Avocets were at the lagoons still on 21st June and were joined by the first returning Green Sandpipers (4), an adult male Little Ringed Plover may have been breeding nearby, just one male Yellow Wagtail was on the dam with no juveniles visible yet and just 8 juvenile Pied Wagtails.
on 26th of June 12 juvenile Black-headed Gulls were on the dam, 10 Yellow-legged Gulls heralded the main summer influx, 3 Curlew flew south, an adult Common Sandpiper was on the dam as were 2 adult Redshank with just 1 Green Sandpiper at the lagoons. C. 700 Common Swifts were counted over the dam in the early morning, 4 adult yellow Wagtails also on the dam and two Meadow Pipits carrying food. Garden Warblers were in full song still as were Willow Warblers with the odd now rather hoarse sounding Chiffchaff also still singing.
An impressive avian spectacle was observed on the fine morning of 29th of June when c. 2700+ Common Swifts were over the dam in a massive swirling vortex then all moved westwards en mass. A passage of Swifts moving south-west continued for most of the morning. 7 Yellow-legged Gulls were counted; c.20 Sand Martins were unexpected and were possibly failed breeders; just one male Yellow Wagtail was seen with a male Cuckoo the only other sighting of note.
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| Willow Warbler - Grafham Water June 2013 |
