Duff GARGANEY still at Blunham

At Blunham Lake this lunchtime: Eclipse drake Garganey, 2 Crossbills, 2 Teal, 4 Shoveler, 3 Mandarin, 1 Wigeon, c.30 Gadwall, c.50 Mallard, 1 Oystercatcher (Steve Blain)

Both Wood Warbler and Pied Fly gone but adult RUFF new in at Rookery

FRIDAY 29 JULY

Mainly grey and overcast all day with a fresh northeasterly wind blowing. Consequently, a few passage waders arrived.......

ROOKERY PIT SOUTH, STEWARTBY (BEDS)
(with Stephen Northwood)

Highlight here was a male RUFF that touchdowned for just ten minutes early afternoon.

Other waders present included 275 post-breeding Lapwings, 4 Ringed Plovers, 3 adult DUNLIN, 5 GREEN SANDPIPERS, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Redshanks and 5 COMMON GREENSHANKS

Also noted were 11 Little Grebes, 5 Little Egrets, the pair of Mute Swans with four surviving cygnets, 2 adult HOBBIES, 113 Black-headed Gulls, 23 Common Terns, 3 Willow Warblers and several Common Whitethroats.

BEDFORD PARK, BEDFORD (BEDS)

Returned once more to Bedford Park, putting in two hours of searching from 1400-1600 hours. No sign of the juvenile PIED FLYCATCHER nor 5 SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS that I had seen the previous evening in the tiny coppice of trees immediately SE of the bowling green nor any sign of the Wood Warbler that had proved so elusive yesterday. At least 4 Common Chiffchaffs still in the coppice, the juvenile Willow Warbler and 12 Goldcrests. Also several Song Thrushes in the park, 25 Goldfinch and 12 Greenfinch, whilst a flock of loafing Black-headed Gulls yielded a single sub-adult Common Gull.

Rookery South

John O'Sullivan and I spent a very pleasant sunny hour at Rookery late afternoon yesterday. Perhaps the most unexpected bird was an immature Northern Wheatear which was hanging around the start of the access track just past the slurry heap. Apparently a migrant, but somewhat early for Bedfordshire I would have thought? On the pit itself we counted the following: 3 Little Egrets, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 4-5 Greenshanks, 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, 1 LRP, 3-4 Ringed Plovers, many Lapwings, 1 female Shoveler, 3-4 Common Terns. Sadly no sign of Keith's Sanderling of the previous day (David Fisher and John O'Sullivan)

WOOD WARBLER and PIED FLYCATCHER in Bedford Park

Both still present, when I left just after 14:00 in the same group of trees. Excellent views of the WOOD WARBLER, frequently returning to the smaller Oak tree, at the base of the fork in the path, also favouring the Sycamores and Cherrys. Obliging pair of Spotted Flycatchers with three young, also in the same trees, as well as a couple of Treecreeper, and a bonus flyover calling Common Crossbill. Local, urban birding at its best! David Roche --- David had found both birds this morning - a Wood Warbler and a juvenile PIED FLYCATCHER in the same group of trees in Bedford Park. They are at grid ref TL051510 - basically between the band stand, pavillion, and lake. Take the path north-west from the band stand until the small cross-roads. Then take the right-hand path through some Hornbeams to the next group of trees. The Pied Fly was still showing this evening but not the Wood Warbler - the latter disappeared about 1830 hours......

SANDERLING in Rookery

In Rookery this evening: SANDERLING, 4 Greenshank, 2 Common Sands, Green Sand, 2 Snipe, 3 Little Egrets, and Peregrine - all per Keith Owen

EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR at The Lodge

A few bits of news, per Steve Blain

A EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR was seen at The Lodge by Graham Wilton-Jones on Sunday evening (24th), but unfortunately hasn't been seen since.

A Ring-necked Parakeet also flew over here on Monday morning (25th), per Andy Schofield. Another Ring-necked Parakeet (or perhaps the same one?) flew over Waterloo Thorns on Sunday 17th, per Guy Anderson,

Roosting gulls back in vogue

Ad Caspian Gull, 1s Med Gull, 2 Common Gulls, 6 Yl Gulls, 430 Bh Gulls, 460 Lbb Gulls roosted on the Washout pit at Broom GP this evening (Steve Blain)