Waders come good

I'm convinced that Langford Lowfields has been intercepting all the decent waders heading north up the Trent Valley this spring. Although to be fair, Mark Dawson has been camped out at Langford and putting in the hours, and reaping the rewards (e.g. Glossy Ibis, Arctic Skua...). By contrast, my visits to Collingham and Besthorpe have been short, and often with an over-excited 6-month old strapped to my front or in a buggy. 

So I was pleased to get a Sanderling at Mons Pool on Friday, with a Dunlin and 8 Ringed Plovers (I'd finally got my first Ringo of the spring on the 19th). However, this contrasts with 17 Sanderling recorded over Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Langford, with a turnover of birds showing that stuff was dropping in and moving on during the day(s). 

Sanderling with a Dunlin

Saturday was unspectacular, with 1 Ringo on Mons (and another 4 which flew over north without stopping), and nothing at all on Sunday. However, it all came together today, with a veritable swarm of waders on Mons - 2 Turnstone, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Dunlin, and 18 Ringos - with another 7 of the latter in the bare potato field to the south of Ferry Lane Lake - plus a drake Garganey. Worth waiting for!

Grey Plover, Ringed Plover and Dunlin

Turnstone

Garganey

Mud, mud, glorious mud... Mons looking in top shape

The only other birds of note in the last week have been 4 Black Terns on Ferry Lane Lake on the evening of Monday 21st - I'd had a message from Mark D to say he'd got 4 Black Terns at Langford, so decided to bomb up to Collingham on the off chance; and there they were, having relocated from Langford. They were present for c.5 minutes before flying high and heading north.