Birds on the Move

Saturday 7th May 2016 and I lived in hope of seeing Whiskered Tern at Attenborough and Black-winged Stilt at Frampton Marsh. Despite my best efforts, neither species were at their respective sites, as they were on Friday evening 6th May. Never mind, I did manage to connect with a few year ticks. A fine summer plumaged Black Tern was still at Attenborough. The 2 Whiskered Terns had moved on and were eventually relocated in Cheshire, later in the day. We then moved on to the RSPB Reserve at Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire. Another disappointment, the female Black-winged Stilt had decided to cross the wash into Norfolk, where she re-appeared at Cley. I was beginning to wonder what I had done to deserve all this.

Frampton, however, produced a good number of year ticks – Corn Bunting, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Ruff, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Garganey. On our way out of the reserve, heading back home, I picked out two Turtle Dove on wires by the A17. All in all a nice day’s birding and so my year list was boosted to 185.

Avocet – Frampton, Lincs – Tony Davison© – above two images

Little Ringed Plover – Frampton, Lincs – Tony Davison© – adult male

Little Egret – Frampton, Lincs – Tony Davison©

Black-headed Gull – Frampton, Lincs – Tony Davison© – above five images

Black-headed Gull – Frampton, Lincs – Tony Davison© – Odd coloured bill and darker coloured head than normal?

Mute Swan – Frampton, Lincs – Tony Davison©

Common Swift – Frampton, Lincs – Tony Davison©

Corn Bunting – Frampton, Lincs – Tony Davison© – above two images – A very scarce bird these days, Frampton is a good place but numbers are thin on the ground.