LESSER SPOT nailed on fourth attempt

Late morning Di and I arrived in the car park at Flitwick Moor to have my fourth crack in a week of trying to see a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Our first sighting tho' was John Temple who gave Di and me the excellent news that he'd seen a Lesser Spot left of the boardwalk.

Di and I enjoyed an hour's stroll with a good variety of species but no LSW - again. One last look from the bridge by the boardwalk and bingo! Excellent views of a delightful male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker quite high up the trunks of the trees and sturdier outer branches. We watched it as it moved from tree to tree for a few minutes before flying off at tree top height along the stream northward. It hadn't really been associating with anything though several Siskins and some Blue and Great Tits were in the vicinity.

We had lunch parked up at the Sandi Smith reserve where a Red Kite glided gracefully over but the local Little Owl wasn't performing. Then we joined Jim Gurney, Lee Evans, Lol + Bob at Gypsy Lane south GP and had great views of the Rock Pipit found by SCB earlier. Old Temps arrived too - a double helping!

We were on our way to The Lodge but I detoured for a quick look at Derek White Egg's pit and had good 'scope views from the public footpath along the A1 of the pair of Ringed Plovers present, also a Dunlin.

No Waxwings along New Road, Sandy so on to The Lodge for a walk around the New Heath. Couldn't find the Tawny Owl tree near the hide but 9 Lesser Redpolls were showing from the hide. No moths in the Osprey building porch but an SCB not looking out of the window in his office! After circling the heath, a probable Common Crossbill flew over as we walked back along path parallel to the main road and some Siskins near the gatehouse..