As predicted by Adam the Little Ringed Plover chicks had been guided down to Gt Marsh and I found them on the mud on the southern margin. The tiny white chicks were feeding at the water’s edge but would occasionally dash back to Mum when they lost confidence or perhaps when she called them. They would then spend a few minutes sheltering under her.
The two fairly advanced Avocet chicks on Gt Marsh were still around but no new chicks yet from the other five sitting birds. The four Lapwing chicks were still on Gv Marsh. I was several hundred yards back towards the car when a calling Little Ringed Plover flew overhead. No doubt one of the parent birds returning to help with the chicks on Gt Marsh.
I met up with Dimitri and on the walk back a Whimbrel gave a snatch of song. On DL’O there were 10 Shelduck chicks, the first I’ve seen and also four young Avocet chicks. 18 Great Black-backed Gulls were nearby, way too many for the various chicks to have an easy time. From the screen I counted 18 Black-headed Gull chicks on the rafts, it looks like the Common Terns have had to try elsewhere.
On the other end of B Water, behind JV Island, there was a single Oystercatcher chick and a Cuckoo which had been calling for an hour or more was joined by a second bird and together they flew across the water in front of us. Two tiny new Lapwing chicks were also on Wigeon Fields and another newly hatched chick was on G West.
Perched on a dead tree at the back of B Water a Hobby surveyed G West and Wigeon Fields probably watching for hirundines, dragonflies or damselflies. Hobbies are probably breeding in one of the woodlands on the Estate.
I’d arrived at NO at 3:30pm so that I could finish with an evening visit to P Shore. I ended up spending four hours at P Farm hoping to see or hear Little Owls. As sunset approached I watched a White Wagtail feeding with the cattle and after sunset I began to record whatever bats were flying. There were Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle and Noctules.
Other than a Tawny Owl calling from the woods at just after 10pm it was all quiet on the owl front. At 10:54pm and just as I was thinking about heading home I did hear another owl but it was the screech of a Barn Owl.
Patch Birding 