A promise of spring

The weekend certainly had a warmth to it, a promise of spring and perhaps a migrant or two? On Sunday I went to Welney thinking that I'd probably be back by lunch but there was so much going on that it was late afternoon by the time I left. A Little Ringed Plover circled in a display flight and there were Dunlin, Ruff and Snipe as well as the inevitable Redshank and a good variety of waterfowl. Some Whooper Swans are still present but some skeins appeard to be heading out. Stars of the show were the 3,000 or so Black-tailed Godwits which whirled and swirled when a marsh harrier or buzzard put them to flight. Some are showing their bright russet breeding plumage and they looked stunning, especially in flight. I was interested to see from my photographs that when coming in to land some performed rolls and can clearly be seen to be flying upside down (although their heads are in the correct orientation)! Very pleasant to spend time with these flocks before most of them head for Iceland!