At 3.50pm today, Ade Cooper found the roaming Black-winged Pratincole amid a congregation of Green Plover at the Ouse Washes. A MEGA.
Right down at the end of the reserve this bird was always going to be a beast to get to and with a handicap of a 6pm finish to a kids party to contend with only a very fortuitous series of coincidence would grant me a any time with this rarity. The Pratincole had departed northerly with the plover before I'd even got the car off the drive. We called in on Lou and Gary see if we could wangle an after hours pass into Welney but unfortunately they were not at home so we did the next best thing and ascended the bank to view the delicious looking Lady Fen.
Five Whooper Swans fed out on the lush flood and a handsome posse of russet Black-tailed Godwit traced rouge across the green and silver marsh. A couple of Ruff and Curlew, a brutish adult female Yellow-legged Gull and at least one smart and youthful Garganey were notable within the eclipse and young duck and waders. A dingy highlight came in the form of the not so Glossy Ibis that has been touring the Washes. With some degree of serendipity, for those that share my whimsical nature, I was chatting with Brendan when Ben picked up the Ibis. I hadn't seen Brendan since he had put Ben and I on to a pair of Ibis that he'd found at Four-balls Farm, back in March. Quite unreasonably I shall expect now to see an Ibis each and every time I meet Brendan in the field. Twice is fortitude and thrice be a trend.
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