The first time I raised my binoculars was for a patch tick, a Green Woodpecker on the grass near the NP Hide. The Dartford Warbler was still in gorse bushes near the beach although I only heard it today. The sea was quiet with just a Great Crested Grebe off shore.
At B Water the female Marsh Harrier was perched on a dead tree but flew just before I had my camera ready. A Peregrine was in full hunting mode powering across the fields towards the JV hide and 22 Pintail out on Inchmery Marsh was a site high count. Brent Geese numbers continue to rise and it’s great to see lots of juvenile birds with their white-edged covert feathers.
As the sun came out a Migrant Hawker appeared and there were several Common Darter pairs egg laying in tandem. A piping Kingfisher rounded the corner near the sluice gate and the Sandwich Tern was still in the river entrance.
Several Chiffchaff were still calling and a group of nine Swallows over the Reedy Ditch were getting quite late.
Patch Birding 