Just before my early shift finished mid-afternoon, news came through from Steve G of a Pied Flycatcher in Lunch Wood at Canons. As soon as I clocked off I raced over there and it was good to bump into Shaun F along Reads Rest Lane. We encountered Steve by Reads Rest Cottages and all three of us marched to Lunch Wood for a brief and unsuccessful search for the flycatcher, just the fourth patch record. The weather was grim so it was hardly surprising that the flycatcher had gone to ground. I decided to revive my initial plan of heading to Beddington for the evening, which turned up a couple of successes in the form of a vocal
Firecrest along the hedge on Cuckoo Lane and two juvenile
Ruff which were feeding on the North Lake the second time I checked it, just as the light was fading and I was heading for the car. One was a male and the other a reeve. Other sightings included two
Greenshanks and two
Common Sandpipers but just three
Green Sandpipers.
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| Ruff at Beddington at dusk |
