On Tuesday we had two black terns on Heronry South all day, showing off for the public. There was a widespread arrival of black terns that day with sightings from almost every large lake in East Anglia, and beyond. Tuesday night was the big event of the week with 210 people out on tours for a Nightingale Serenade. Again, the nightingales were reluctant, but they did give us a show. Ray Matthews' group took the Meadow Trail and were rewarded with a Cetti's warbler and a grasshopper warbler singing. These birds both performed for Ray's group, but studiously ignored my group which was right behind.
Wednesday brought seven more black terns and a cosmic mega-tick in the form of a wryneck which showed all day near the moorings. There were more terns and a garganey on Diddington Pit.
This is not a nest box!
The award for the two most awkward birds of the week must go to the robins that nested at Wray House Farm in the pig-stye, otherwise known as "the snakepits". It built two nests, but only used one, in the chassis of our Erreppi 4x4 which is being rebuilt by our volunteers. We have painted all the external bits and Davy Jones has rebuilt the engine and put in the electrics, but all further work on the project has halted until the young robins fly.
Brian prepares the bonnet of our 4x4 for painting.
We also have a pair of blue tits nesting in a life-belt station, so please don't fall in the lake for a another month or so.
