I had a very interesting start to the day. I arrived at my usual starting point below Hanging Houghton just before 07.30 hrs and bumped into someone from the village who had just completed his usual cycle ride around the fields with his dog. Although he doesn't carry binoculars he is always aware of the birds and wildlife around and over the years he has seen some interesting sights.
This morning he asked me "whether he could have seen a skua" and then proceeded to describe perfectly the action and jizz of a skua which he had witnessed chasing the gulls on the fields.
Very quickly I headed off in the direction of this possible skua. As I neared the field the feeding gulls took to the air in panic and I picked up a medium sized dark skua going low through the gulls and flying away from me. All I could tell from my view is that it was a dark Skua .
Despite much searching and several visits during the day I did not find it again. Strangely enough this bird was in the same field where I found a couple of Skua's a few years ago and this too was just after harvest time. !! Coincidence ??
Eric had an interesting day on the Titchmarsh Reserve where there was a steady flow of hirundines leaving and a steady flow of winter ducks arriving. There were two hobbies, one over town lake and the other showing well as it hawked insects over the pylon field. Still a few warblers about including Cettis, Chiffchaffs and Lesser Whitethroats and 2 early Siskins were noted. On Aldwincle Lake there was a rather smart Yellow Legged Gull and the ever present Great White Egret.
Regards Eleanor
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