1000 Swifts, Covenham Reservoir

Headed to Covenham yesterday hoping to see Arctic Tern, which was a huge success. We got there around 11am and were soon into birds as we started to walk around the reservoir. Common sandpipers, yellow wagtails, a white wagtail and a huge number of sand martins and swallows overhead.  We could see arctic terns flying in the middle of the reservoir. The great northern diver was still there and gave us good views. We were only half round the first stretch and Simon shouted SWIFT.....a new bird for the year and one that we had been hoping to see today. Then there was another.....and another. We looked up and the sky was literally covered in a huge ball of swifts. One of life's moments that we will always remember.....a massive fall of swifts that we estimated at 1000. For 15 minutes they never stopped coming and then they were gone as quick as they arrived. All these birds and there was just us two there. 

A few more from Toft Newton Reservoir

 

Two wheatears have stopped over the last two days, both very flighty but so good to see

Masses of swifts yesterday in the showery weather, one of my favourite birds but almost impossible to capture on camera. Pleased with these, will defo get more pics this summer

Loads of swallows, house and sand martins skimming the water and the wind pushed them into the top corner. There was another swallow with a red belly, wonder if it's the same one as last year. It stood out a mile. 

and a godwit from a couple of days ago that didn't look all that well but had gone the following morning

Dunlin, Toft Newton Reservoir

 

One of those 'glad we came here' trips with this very confiding dunlin and 3 common sandpipers along with our first wheatear at Toft this year and a few swifts overhead. The sun shone, the sky was blue and all was good !

A few from last week

A beautiful roe deer

Great-spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Black-backed Gull on next doors garage, They visit regularly for food so they are not too far away

Pied Wagtail

Quite a few swifts on our evening walk, the numbers had certainly built up as they get ready to go. We had 3 return to us this year, usually nesting in the older houses in the next street as some still have original slates and wooden fascias. But this year they seemed to fly around all summer and have now gone....without breeding. We didn't see one single click on the wing this year. What a sad state of affairs as we witness the decline of this iconic bird.

Tr

Tree Sparrows at Blacktoft Sands

Yellowhammer still singing away at near dusk

 

A few from last week

 

A woodcock doing it's evening rounds

Common Whitethroat

Swifts

Rat on the birdfeeder at Barton, it didn't bat an eyelid

Housemartins, going at a million miles an hour

Buzzard

Barn Owl