Wader Extravaganza

Good weather has returned this last week and I have spent two days in the Northern Dales filming waders including the Snipe on the blog. It was amazing at dusk and dawn to see and listen to displaying waders that included Woodcock, Snipe, Redshank, Lapwings, Oyster Catchers and Curlew. Many of our local hills had these waders thirty years ago before overgrazing led to their disappearance.

An outing one evening this week resulted in a male Long Eared Owl being seen carrying prey to a female and there was some vocal activity. It was good to see the return of Wheatears to the hills.

Searches for the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have drawn a blank on two occasions and I now fear that this tiny illusive bird has been lost to the areas I have known for a lifetime.

In the garden Reed Buntings are the stars and we must have at least half a dozen different birds now feeding at different times.