Headed down to the Yellow Marshes today with Aaron in the hope of finally pinning down a Woodcock. We sat for about an hour before things started moving, with a couple of Mallards then a Mandarin and finaaly three Wigeon over. It was very dark by this time but finally, I got my hoped for year tick, in the form of seven flyover Teal. Great to see and in the next hour over thirty moved over.
It was almost pitch black when the next tick turned up, two Geese flew over and turned out to be Greylag, something of a WALBOC mega.
However, Woodcock were still the target and none had yet turned up so we decided to move on and try some spotlighting. First up the Airfield where they sometimes occur. A Little Owl showed well but still no dumpy, cryptically-plumaged brown things. We decided to go down to the Eastern Fields where they always are but hug the woodland tightly so are tough to pick out. Despite this, upon arrival one, then two, then three Woodcock showed immediately! They are very handsome birds and always good to see. Roll on the migrants tomorrow.
In other related news, Aaron had a Peregrine over and up to ten Golden Plover today, two Grey Partridge last Saturday and the first Willow Tit of the year yesterday. All things I need to catch up with.
WALBOC Patchlist: 91
WALBOC Yearlist: 75
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