Nethergong Birding

I have just come back from 5 days camping at Nethergong with the family where I was able to get in a bit of birding most mornings and the odd walk around during the day to look again for birds and dragonflies.

Sunrise at Nethergong

Birding highlights included 3 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear, c10 Yellow Wagtail, c15 Willow Warbler, 1 Hobby, 4 Common Buzzard, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, c5 Chiffchaff, 2 Raven, c40 Swallow, c20 Reed Bunting, 5 Greenfinch, c40 Goldfinch, 2 Kestrel, 2 Stonechat, 1 Sparrowhawk and 3 Yellowhammer. You hope working a local patch will turn up good birds every now and then and this proved the case yesterday when at 11:55am, I picked up on two raptors circling over the fields at Nethergong. The first was obviously a Common Buzzard but the second seemed bigger. On raising the binoculars, I could see that it was an Osprey (121), a new bird for the patch. It slowly circled a little higher with the Buzzard trying to see it off and flew over me towards Grove Ferry where I managed a few distant shots. I made sure to get some nice views through the binoculars at it flew further away. This was a bird that I thought I would eventually see here but just goes to show what is around if you keep working an area. It can be hard work at times but this made it all worthwhile.

Osprey 

As I walked back to the tent, I flushed a Pipit out of the grass next to the stream. It didn't call at all but I watched it fly a few hundred yards away and then drop down. I assumed it was a Meadow Pipit but not long after when I was sat at the tent, I heard a Tree Pipit (122) call twice quite close but did not see it. Being on site for a few days allowed me to record each night in the area. It was generally quiet but I did manage to record 1 Common Sandpiper (123) flying over during the night, 1 Golden Plover, a flock of Gadwall, Tawny and Barn Owl and a couple of unidentified calls which may or may not be able to be identified. A lovely few days spent with the family at this superb location and seeing the Osprey was the icing on the cake.