Holme Fen & Grafham Water 16 July 2012

Inspite of the low clouds scudding across from the south-west mixed with intermittent rain rather than the insect friendly warm sunny weather that one would hope for in July. I manged to have a reasonable morning at Holme Fenn NNR.a serene block of habitat which is is the largest natutal birch woodland in the country.

The avian highlights were 3 Marsh Harriers (1 male) over adjacent arable land; a female Garganey on the mere and a nearly trod on male Quail which literally jumped then flew over a small dyke into a wheat field, guaranteed to be my only Quail sighting of the year other than those hung in Borough Market.
Stopped off at Grafham on the way home at lunchtime, with the rain becoming heavy and persistent, little to be seen apart from 5 Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 Green Sandpipers, a lone Dunlin at the lagoons and small numbers of Swifts and hirundines struggling to feed...

juvenile Blackcap