Long, hot summer

The hot weather and drought conditions continue. It seems to have been weeks since we had any rain. With little water available in the LDV, the pool at Wheldrake Ings is acting as a magnet for birds and is hosting good numbers of Little Egrets and Grey Herons and is starting to pull in some early migrant waders.

Pick of the bunch was an adult Wood Sandpiper found by Duncan on the 8th, which was still there in the evening, when I twitched it. Also present, were three Green Sandpipers, again adults, A stonking Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit and a few Redshanks which may well have been born locally. A lone juvenile Water Rail showed well along the edge of the Glyceria.

The meadow has now been cut for hay, with a large patch left in case the Corncrake had chosen to breed again, although there has been no sight or sound for a while.

 Little Egret gang. A common sight in the Valley these days.

 Iceland's finest. Black-tailed Godwit.

 Two Green Sandpipers. Both adults, maybe females which tend to depart the breeding grounds first.

Redshank (juv) with adult Wood Sandpiper, showing how dinky Wood Sands are!

 Wood Sand.

Wood Sand

The low water conditions bodes well for the next few weeks, with hopefully some more waders making an appearance. A Pec would be nice, or a Marsh Sand....