The water is coming

After the summer drought, it is taking a while for things to get wet in the Lower Derwent Valley. With some rain, Bank Island and the Low Grounds have now partially flooded, and birds have poured in. Hopefully with more rain, Wheldrake Ings will flood too, and winter birding will kick off proper. Great scenes at Bank Island this morning, with 1,000 Lapwings, 17 Ruff, c60 Pintails, c500 Wigeon etc. Great to hear the evocative calls of these birds on a still morning, the soundtrack for the next four months of local patch birding. Awesome.