Au Revoir

 I'm off to Lesvos tomorrow for a family holiday which means that you'll be spared any more of this drivel for at least a week. As if that wasn't enough something rare usually appears whenever I leave the country be it a Kentish Plover at Summer Leys or a Long-billed Dowitcher at Eyebrook. I've already alerted my Eyebrook friends and thought I'd let you know too, clear the diary and stand by for action. When you're watching that Whiskered Tern or Black Stork you can thank me later, preferably with beer!

Having endured the ineptitude of Stagecoach twice in the recent past I avoided further stress by visiting Eyebrook in the company of Phil Rogers, Cheryl and Ken. We began at the island bunker where two Little Ringed and one Ringed Plover were the highlight, we also heard the first of three Lesser Whitethroats singing. At the bay north of the island an overturned car which had crashed through the hedge provided something of a distraction but not enough to prevent us from seeing my first Greenshank of the year. The inflow provided views of my second Eyebrook Avocet of the year as well as a summer plumaged adult Dunlin and another Ringed Plover. We looked for but could not find the reported Wood Sandpiper and my last sighting of note was of an Osprey annoying the local terns and gulls. A stop at the Royal George in Cottingham gave me my last taste of decent beer for at least a week.

Osprey