Sunday 20 July 2014

Pratincole Info

I have accumulated the information posted on Cambirds about the sightings of the Black Winged Pratincole on the Ouse Washes.  Tremendous stuff.

19th July - Discovery

More than happy to find the Black W Pratincole up the washes today!! I had already checked all along the wash in the morning but decided as it was only 14.00 to bike back north again,While chatting with Rob Palmer near Cadbury we saw a large flock of Lapwing coming in from the north and dropping on the wash I thought just maybe.....amazed when counting the Laps to see the Pratincole in the middle of them preening showing off its black underwing which was handy as their trickier than people think..I watched the bird for 1hour 35 when it flew nnw across arable with half the Lapwing flock at 17.20
The pool,just south of the rail bridge on the rspb side is clearly just for resting ,washing and preening and not a feeding area to the bird so may well be back again at some point after feeding elsewhere...hope it does.
3 other birders managed to see the bird,2 staff and a visiting birder from Lincs.
Other birds today..16 Garganey,8 Greenshank,5 Green Sand,2 Common Sand,RN Parakeet,7 LRP,1 Dunlin,71 Ruff.

Ade Cooper.

20th July – Roaming

Pratincole distantly with flock of Lapwing over Pymoor village as viewed from north of Pymoor towards the direction of Railway bridge at 19.40

Neal Gates
Glad it was seen again, hopefully it will stick in the area. I took the chance it would turn up again at the same time as yesterday and it did, almost to the minute. It soon flew off when the Lapwings rose but went off on its own, high and then fed with the hirundines around Four Balls Farm for a bit before dropping behind the trees along the railway and we couldn't pick it up again.

Also along the washes:

Garganey, about 15, mostly near the railway
Spotted Redshank, 1 moulting
LRP (8), Curlew (1), Ruff (about 50), Dunlin (2 adult), Green Sandpiper (1)
Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Snipe, Redshank, Greenshank (6)

Hobby family, Water Rail 


Hugh Venables