Sunday saw me over in South Yorkshire again and thinking it was getting to the time of year that wader numbers start increasing I decided to visit Blacktoft.
Most annoyingly, the morning had been classic "sunny intervals" but the moment I stepped out of the car the sun disappeared, only to reappear 2 hours later as I drove away.
The main wader ponds were well stocked with Dunlin, Redshank, Spotted Redshank (12!), Greenshank, Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, and loads of Lapwing - all with varying amounts of their summer plumage left. 15+ young Bearded Tits were easy to spot as they investigated the reeds at the water's edge.
The Ruff confused me at first as every bird had its own unique colour scheme. I've never seen one in mid-summer but they must look amazing!
This "ginger" one was the odd one out...
Best posing bird was this Green Sandpiper which played hide and seek around one of the islands.
When you visit Blacktoft there is no avoiding the Marsh Harriers as they drift over the reeds. As the youngsters have taken flight they have had 25+ visible in the air at once this year. Only one came in camera range though.
The place is well worth a trip anytime. It's about 20 minutes drive from the M62 near Goole.
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