12/07/2020 Oare Marshes for Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull

Sunday 12 July 2020
Oare Marshes

I spent a very rewarding, late afternoon session, at Oare Marshes in the gorgeous July sunshine.  The target species was the ever-returning Bonaparte's gull.  High tide was due around 5 - 6 pm so I arrived around 4 pm hoping to see the bird on the strategically better viewing area of the east flood rather then on the mud by the River Swale. To add spice to the visit, a lesser yellowlegs had turned up on the reserve and I was hoping to see it too.

Neither bird was showing when I got there, although both had been seen earlier in the day.

• I did manage to see a couple of whimbrel with the godwits, about 50 metres from my viewing point on the road.
• A water rail was also showing well.

With nothing special happening I decided to walk anticlockwise around the reserve.

• From the opposite bank I could see a greenshank, my first of 2020.

When I got back to my starting position, both birds had reappeared.

• The lesser yellowlegs was closest, barely 30 metres away and showing really well as it foraged on the edge of the water.

courtesy of Rich Bonser and Twitter

• About 20 metres further away, the Bonaparte's gull was resting with the main godwit flock, beside a couple of shelduck. It was nice to see it still in summer plumage - my last couple of sightings here in previous years were much later, after the bird had gone into winter plumage.

courtesy of Mike Hook and Facebook

• On the way home I called in at Bough Beech where I found one of the green sandpipers Alan C had told me about at our Weir Wood working party group last Tuesday. 

Good to be out and about again after going back into lockdown. The recent spate of Covid 19 easing measures had unnerved Sue and I.