Rocking up at the Beddington hide this morning (too rainy for Canons), it was the same story of a couple of
Common Sandpipers and
Little Ringed Plovers on the main island. An
Egyptian Goose screaming away and the drake
Pochard were about the highlights, along with a
Sand Martin lingering. Kojak arrived for his WeBS survey and, after the apparent finale of the rain, I headed towards the far side of the mound. After reading the short paper in this month's
British Birds on mixed singing
Willow Warblers, I was pleased to stumble upon such a bird in voice along 'Parkside', issuing a mainly Willow refrain with a few 'chiffs' and 'chaffs' thrown in.
Walking back across the mound, a
Whimbrel flew across my sight
and seemed to pitch down before shortly crossing back towards its origin
by the side of the south lake. A scarce bird overall at the farm,
particularly in the last couple of years or so, this was a day-maker.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6IdVO8rqqrjGPDsP0ufZCknCglPemUdYd6un_z4IpkP8sEaMgMnYG-iZ39Fm9R9rbUb4O1PYfS075sBU39djORejanpU7oO9VFd8MI_sj9PsO_a5DXQges9tyY-NOULv8BU71UWut9b1/s640/Whimbrel+14052017+2.jpg) |
Whimbrel at Beddington |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7w3SfCVAdFieHdptK-CJnLCIidy3AFbD_D6d1_Jus8SDhNWakrOMJ7smcAnOrwjPmmLLgprnfmdl5vk-jLTo64OvLQO9cbwak0M6j0O7M7kSNyhjz4K_CRmWo4i96G_CaFN15mNUatRBU/s640/Willow+Warbler+14052017+1.jpg) |
confused (or innovative?) Willow Warbler at Beddington |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RLIU9J9ykfwPfjWhBf2-v1zJ9e1yYH1SzPbiYBwZZCp97pxV5QqMO7keyjt10CUte9THEYB3uCV5KCH-0ubUZIK_T8xjm_xi9qGDohEl7jyhlmT9GOehE40OnYREY3QhyQ4XO1o7kKFf/s640/Egyptian+Goose+14052017.jpg) |
riotous Egyptian Goose at Beddington |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1Zbw_Wf9F-9PENqzB8__hxfyYPkQeFaGYHytzd6EIRJtThIoT8lpbLiE9jnc3WMUZyNO-ALHhe8uebr2LDg7Du8u_cDfdXl583JbEZbdmV2LhWpgarI-RAfW3RyyZMskFaRFNlpz_of2/s640/Pheasant+14052017+1.jpg) |
the Beddington 'Warden' |
Christian C and Koje managed to catch up with it later in the morning before CC and I headed to Leith Hill, enjoying a panoply of heathland birds but the biggest surprise was a pair of Stonechats, a species that hasn't bred there for a few years.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8HvHERfum-d08FQkRbPUdFlTlJENX1PH5GKkDnJpwOKsc9CMzgxXpiURPyeT0pTZ7bC7KID7sQMl02bnz-vz0OiJGDRQIvACyktJrWvX0SsYNLUILu63U0VbJuYhwSkxAXno0j0k08An/s640/Stonechat+14052017+1.jpg) |
♀ Stonechat at Leith Hill |