Welney Heat

Welney has been sweltering for the past week or so, and the Dragonflies patrol up and down the path, creating a distraction from the onset of Autumn birding. A Black-tailed Skimmer, now showing signs of a long season, basked on the dirt, and up on the bank, a pair of Common Darters embraced.

The pool at Friends Hide was baked dry, allowing a slightly scrawny Roe buck to stroll right across it.

At the reed edge, a young Water Rail suddenly remembered it had left the door unlocked.

There was plenty of water at the Lyle Hide pool, and a small flock of Ruff flew in - to the surprise of a Female Garganey.

They too were soon distracted as a Hobby skimmed across low.

Back at the main Obs, another garganey, this time an immaculate youngster suffered in the Sun.

The Godwits squeaked and rattled in the shallows - feeding, preening and fighting. Gulls have been building up in numbers, and among the Black-heads were a returning Common Gull and Lesser Black Back. Egrets and Herons stand watch along the ditches or float in to strut around the main pool.