Skimmer of Hope

Dan again.

Today's best birds were insects, somehow or other.

 I was lucky to find three dragonfly species here ahead of any darter emergence. 

Two male black-tailed skimmers were unexpected, one 'flushed' from bare ground near the Wildfowler's Pools, and another from a bankside nearer Freeman's Pools. Let's hope this species is in the process of colonising the parish.

I scoped the more sheltered parts of the latter site and also noted 3 or 4 rather active four-spotted chasers, which wisely became less showy when a male emperor turned up.

Back to birds....

Two green sandpipers struck a quasi-autumnal note, and a party of 4 shovelers feeding on the wind-whipped estuary was a slightly odd and unseasonal record for the patch.

Three little ringed plovers still around...all adults.

DH.