I had a picture to add to this post but it has refused to load so you will have to imagine the fabulous shot of a gold spot moth that would have been here.
First day back after a break and straight into a mass of messages and a "Volunteer Thursday". We cleared small trees off the lichen heath area and also moved a section of fence to limit casual access to the lake shore. As we were working I heard a curlew call and looking up there it was a single curlew flying over going south. Almost immediately a disembodied voice from behind the trees could be heard calling to us that the great white egret was on Rockford Lake, although never seen I knew who it was, but one of the team thought it was another of the volunteers sloping off for a quick bit of birdwatching!
However the egret was far from being the bird of the day, this accolade went to a sub-adult gannet which flew south over Ibsley Water, I missed it but it was seen well by at least two people, a really good inland record. The same people also saw a colour-ringed juvenile peregrine and a ringed plover.
After lunch I went over to the Goosander hide to check out jobs that need doing, the reward was a good view of kingfisher and a hobby.
At the end of the day locking up Tern hide I heard a whimbrel calling, or at least I thought I did, then I heard a little grebe, so doubted, then whimbrel again and little grebe again. There was a whimbrel flying slowly southwards and each time it called the little grebe responded. The calls do sound similar but it seemed the grebe thought the whimbrel was another grebe. Finally, just as I was leaving I noticed a juvenile osprey flying along the north shore towards Mockbeggar where it dropped down. All in all not a bad day.
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