Grafham Dam 19 May 2012

A gentle northerly with mizzle 0630-0900
Promising weather with heavy rain overnight brought down a few common waders though little else. A flock of 15 Ringed Plovers with a Sanderling attached were on the Dam then flew north-east at 07.10; 2 more Ringed Plovers remained with 4 Sanderlings; then 4 more Ringed Plovers arrived with 2 schinzii Dunlin at 09.03; 1 Common Sandpiper and a Common Snipe flew east.
The variation in the structure and plumage tones of the Ringed Plovers present this morning was marked with some showing the darker upperparts, smaller slimmer build, finer tarsus and longer thinner bills typical of the northernTundrae form. Given the date it's quite probable that most these birds were northerly breeders whether from north Scandanavia or North-East Canada. Interestingly all of the birds that were seen well had quite narrow breast bands


Ringed Plover presumed race hiaticula one of the palest birds present

Ringed Plover presumed race tundrae

Otherwise 4 Grey Partridges in the murk that brought back memories of a female Blood Pheasant on the summit of Wawu Shan in Sichuan, China in 2010 -very odd! ; c 30 Barn swallows and reduced numbers of Yellow Wagtails with just 8 noted.
17.40 - 2 Grey Plovers flew low north along the Ouse at Little Paxton.