Nethergong Birding

I arrived at Nethergong this morning at 5.30am where I sat in the car for a few minutes listening to the day wake up. With hardly any wind I could hear the Greylag Geese leaving from the Stour Valley but they seldom fly this way. I spent c4 hours walking around the circuit a number of times in nice weather and was hoping for a good migrant to drop in or fly by but despite a good thrashing of pathways, bushes, fields and fence posts, I could not find anything new. I did manage to see or hear 55 species this morning which is pretty good but the morning promised so much more. Maybe next weekend will deliver a Flycatcher or Wheatear and I suppose there is even a chance of Red Kite, Honey Buzzard and Osprey, I just hope I can be around to find one. Birds of note this morning included 4 Bullfinch, 6 Little Egret flew north at sunrise, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Green Woodpecker, 27 Cormorant, 2 Reed Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Kestrel, 4 Stock Dove, 2 Yellow Wagtail and a Turtle Dove posed briefly on wires allowing me to grab a few shots of this scarce migrant.

Turtle Dove

There were 2 Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 1 Yellowhammer, 2 Great spotted Woodpecker, 6 Swallow, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Reed Bunting, 4 Whitethroat, 1 Jay, 3 Common Buzzard, 1 Treecreeper, 2 Sedge Warbler, 1 Hobby, 1 Grey Heron and 2 Ring necked Parakeet. Back to work on Monday so I will have to wait until next weekend for a visit. No doubt birds will arrive in the week when I am not there !