Grafham Water - 8 September 2012

The hot weather continues, covered the dam and adjacent areas for three hours in the early morning relatively quiet...

A very large female second calendar year Peregrine appeared over the dam at 09.25 then flew off strongly west; 7 Yellow-legged Gulls; 2 Common Terns; 1 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpipers; 1 Oystercatcher; c 30 Swallows; 1 Spotted Flycatcher; c 85 Yellow Wagtails of which 70% were adults and all quite typical warm toned flavissimas; 2 Wheatears; a trickle of Meadow Pipits over south with c 20 grounded and an early Rock/Water Pipit over south calling. Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were much in evidence in the areas to the north and south of the dam.

aberrant juvenile Blackcap showing strong buffy brown tones on the
upperparts, wings and underparts.

female presumed second calendar year peregrine with rather finely marked
primaries and secondaries

Lesser Whitethroat