Midsummer Lull

As you would expect in mid-June, the patch year list has slowed down considerably in the last few days.
That doesn't mean there haven't been a few nice additions. 
Yesterday, a morning visit in nice weather gave lots of singing warblers, the best of which was a reeling Grasshopper Warbler in the Owl Field. There were two birds, possibly a pair. It was actually the first time I've ever seen a Grasshopper Warbler before hearing it first.


The female bird perched up on the fence which bisects the field and then flew off into the long grass, then a few seconds later a male popped up from below the fence and began to reel, giving walkaway views.
The best birds on the lake were Shoveler, Common Tern and some really showy Reed Warblers. The patch, while there isn't the variety of migration times, is really nice at the moment with the breeding season in full swing and lots of fledglings around. 


A visit in strong wind this afternoon didn't produce the passerines I saw yesterday, as most birds were hiding in shelter, but I did see a pair of Garganey that have been reported for the last couple of days. The birds were sleeping on the far side of the lake with some Gadwall under one of the larger trees. I was surprised to see the male seemed to be in almost full plumage. Views were distant but some of the best I've had at Willington and they could be seen from Platforms 1, 2 and 4.
In with the Common Terns, I picked out what I believe is an Arctic Tern. Not a common bird here at Willington. In the photo below you can see the thin trailing edge on the underwing and no dark wedge on the upper wing. The pale cheek contrasts strongly with the dark underparts.

There were a total of 48 Gadwall on the lake today - possibly my largest summer count. A Little Egret was also fishing from Platform 1.



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