Sun, downpours, windy and calm weather made for an interesting visit. The Curlew Sand was joined by at least 4 Dunlin and 4 Common Sands, mainly along the north shore and NW corner of F1 (northerly basin). The same corner around 15:10 saw a Hobby catching insects before gliding east and north. The wooded hills to the north had up to 6 Buzzards slope soaring joined by 2 Kestrels at times. One Red Kite slowly moving SE made one of the rare days when Common Buzzards earned their proper name relative to the normally ubiqitous Spanish imports. The singleton Common, Black and Little Terns tended to feed in the SW corner when not perched out in the middle. In the post-downpour period they were joined by around 600 Sand Martin simiialry feeding facing into the wind, before dissapearing in the calm sunny periods. A range of ages in Yellow-legged Gulls included an adult bird perching frequently and often closely in the SE corner, displaying their yellowish legs - normally well hidden in the roost flocks. Around 17:00 swifts appeared in this corner and increased to at least 8 birds feeding along the east bank of F2 as I left. Many 10's of Pied Wagtails along the east banks shared ground around the sewage works grassland in particular with some 30 Yellow Wagtails, with a single Grey Wagtail at the waters edge.
All in all a very pleasant, unplanned, visit producing two personal county ticks. Thanks to the dedicated Farmoor birders, rare bird finders and helpful text alerts.
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