The Washes have drained and drained over the week. On Sunday 5th April a dawn raid at Sutton Gault and up to Chain Corner did not reveal the hoped for Baikal Teal. This bird has, to it's credit, started to move north-east from Fen Drayton. I'm not sure whether a shift of less than 10 miles constitutes a migrational trend though?
Garganey were not so much evident as hard worked for and Ben and I found 3 in an hour or so search. When we got up to Four Balls Farm to look for the Ring-necked Duck near enough the first bird seen was an adult (or near as damn it) Spoonbill, that flew south and alighted for a short spell, allowing a blurry record shot at 1/4 mile. Later we saw it flying up the Wash towards the RSPB reserve from Pymoor. There were also single Sand and House Martin moving west.
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Spoonbill - at some considerable distance
Today an afternoons safari took in some great skydancing Harriers near Ely, wild swans on the Washes, an American vagrant, a cage jumper, a declining breeder and some up for it colonists.
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Ring-necked Duck fm - also some way away
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Ruddy Shelduck
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Redshank
Feisty Avocet pairing and Ruddy Shelduck heckles
Having had a little look at the earlier migrants arriving in East Anglia, I'm very fortunate to be heading south now for 10 days birding in Morocco. It's always a compromise leaving the Ely10 during the migration season but I hope that there's some Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Osprey and who knows what else around to enjoy on my return.
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