Autumn's here!

24th June - I popped into the pit on the way home from a meeting in London - I haven't been down for a while.  It seemed relatively quiet, but as I scanned the back of the spit, a Wood Sand suddenly appeared and then disappeared from view.  I went to the western view point for a slightly closer look, but it was never that close, favouring the back of the spit and eventually making its way up the eastern side towards the loafing LWHG flock, where it was even more difficult to see.  I took one of my classic records, which is quite heavily cropped, but you can just about see what it is.  A Spring bird and now an early Autumn returning bird - not bad!  This was an adult, typically brown and part spangled on the mantle with a diffusely marked breast band and flanks, with long, pale yellowish green legs.  Funnily enough, some of the fox clan appeared on the spit whilst I was there, 2 large cubs and an adult.  They were frolicking about fairly close to the Wood Sand, which didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed.

3 or 4 Little Ringed Plovers and an Oystercatcher were also present.

Last week, a Common Sand on the 20th heralded the start of return wader passage for me, so Autumn is definitely here.  Little Ringed Plovers also increased to 7 adult birds on the 21st, which I assume are failed breeders, whilst post breeding or failed ducks continue to appear - 8 Teal (7m, f), 3 Shoveler (2m, f) and 15 adult Gadwall all present on the 20th.

On a slightly cheerier note, a pair of Common Terns on the new raft hatched 2 chicks some time last week.  However, this is the only pair nesting there, the other birds didn't seem to like its new location.  I suspect that some birds attempted to nest on the spit, which would have been doomed to failure.

Other recent news.  Last Tuesday, whilst driving from Marlow Bottom going to the pit, an Osprey was flying low in the opposite direction just to the west of me.  Luckily I had my bins on the seat next to me so I was able to pull over and watch it flap over the trees to the NW.  Quite an unseasonal bird to see, so presumably a non-breeder.