Sunday 19 September 2010

Upton Warren - Grey Phalarope

I was nearly tempted into counting the Greylag Geese and other desperate measures to to stop me dozing off! Venus Pool was looking ‘settled’ for the day and with Upton Warren just down the road, a decent bird showing (year tick too), I opted for another awayday!

Can’t say I’ve ever been in the ‘feeder hide’ before (imagine a garden shed on legs) but can just imagine the scenes of mayhem if there was a national rarity only viewable from here! Nevertheless, a Grey Phalarope isn’t going to bring the crowds out and it was a tick on arrival with the bird best viewed from here, albeit at a distance! Record shot duly followed.....






Constantly harassed by the Gulls if it dared stray from the Northern end of the scrapes, I had one brief closer chance in front of the main hide mid morning. It didn’t last though!








I stuck it out for three hours but had to call it a day then. The only compensation was some distant flight shots....










With the Seaforth Wilson’s in the bag from earlier in the year, adult and juv Red-necked, this Grey clinches all three Phalaropes for the year! I’m off to Devon on the talk scene later this week so hopefully a few more good birds will put in an appearance?