A late afternoon visit to Little Marlow Gravel Pits, Bucks today bought my first year sightings of a number of summer migrants. I arrived amongst a torrent of Hailstones and rain and after waiting for a break in the weather made my way from the car park towards the lake, as I viewed the Lake it was very apparent that the wet weather had brought large numbers of Hurindines down, Swallow, Sand & House Martins were busy feeding over the waters surface with frenetic pace. I headed on passed the viewing area by the spit and headed off to the Tern rafts, again the rain started to fall and finding a spot under a tree I looked out towards the rafts, 2 Common Terns were sat on the rafts alongside a Black-headed Gull and a rather sorry looking Common Gull, a Pied Wagtail and a Canada Goose added to the collection on what looked like Noah's Ark.
The rain slowly eased off and I decided to carry on along the path stopping to view the fields by the train track and the river, Greylag & Canada Geese feeding in the fields alongside a Feral Snow Goose & Feral Barnacle Goose but little else. Further along the path I came across a small Tit flock which consisted of Blue, Great & Long-tailed Tit which were busy in the tree tops, as I watched them a pair of Chaffinches joined them shortly followed by a Willow Warbler which flitted it's way through the trees stopping once on a tree branch in front of me, a quick preen and shake of it's feathers and it was off again. A large clap of thunder followed by lightning quickly persuaded me to turn back and head for home and I made my way back to view the spit, I met Alan Stevens who is a local birder at the usual viewing point by the bench and had a long chat while watching the spit, 2 Ringed & 3 Little Ringed Plovers were present on the spit but not a great deal more. As we made our way back to the car park a male Blackcap broke in to song and gave brief views as it made it's way to the top of a tree and as we reached the car park a Chiffchaff followed suit.
Added To My Year List
128. Swallow
129. House Martin
130. Common Tern
131. Willow Warbler
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