Flooding in

Prestwick Carr is at its best when flooded and water levels after last Tuesdays deluge certainly haven't subsided quickly which means the list has had a boost. Having added Long eared Owl a couple of weeks ago the floods brought in four Ruff and a couple of Yellow Wagtail which brought the tally to 111 equalling last years efforts with three months left. Friday evening saw Stock Dove added but Saturday was lost due to other commitments so Sunday I was down first thing. A flock of 56 Pink footed Geese must have spent the night and in amongst them was a single Barnacle Goose a species new to the PC list. Nearby a flock of 30 or so Wigeon fed and 50 Lapwing had two Ruff feeding alongside as the Geese flew off west. I was just leaving to check the top fields when Graeme arrived and as I headed up the lane he texted me to say he had three Pintail in view so I returned to add them to my list, the last this species was seen here being 2006 but not by me. As we watched all the birds lifted and a Peregrine shot over our heads allowing Graeme to spot two Gadwall flying with the Pintails. He was on a roll as he then turned up Black tailed Godwit and a Med Gull in amongst the hundreds of Black heads! I have long checked the many gulls for this bird and finally its now on the list which stands at 115 for the year and I keep missing a Grey Plover which Bill and Allan have seen a few times toward the end of last week.

Spot the Barnacle Goose. Last night I counted 46 Pied Wagtail leaving the horse paddocks to roost and today the three Pintail and two Ruff remain, the Lapwing flock has risen over 100 and 30 Golden Plover have joined them along with 80 or so Greylag Geese but scanning the Black headed Gulls I couldn't refind the Med.