A Lot of Activity at Rye Meads

13th August 2023

The scrape in front of the Draper Hide and No1 Lagoon in front of the Gadwall Hide are both in tip-top condition with plenty of exposed islands and muddy margins, but unfortunately no-one had told the waders. There were none at all on No1 Lagoon and just three Green Sandpipers and a lone Common Sandpiper in front of the Draper Hide.

Luckily in front of the Draper Hide the low number of waders were more than compensated for by lots of activity from the other residents. There were four Little Egrets today and I am always amazed at just how tiny the fish they catch are, needing hundreds for a meal. Well today one had a couple of attempts and then caught caught a monster by normal standards.

I suspect it might be a small Carp.

I normally think of Egyptian Geese as rather demure members of the family but today they were obviously on a high and were engaging in what I normally refer to as extreme bathing. Here they fly around like things possessed and then dive under the water only to re-surface and then repeat the process.

This one was even trying to walk on the water.

The craze had even spread to the Shovelers which today were probably the most numerous ducks present and all in eclipse plumage

They copied the Egyptians but probably even more ferociously, and just look at the expressions on their faces.

So now to the waders starting with the Green Sandpipers, only three today compared to eight last week.

They were engaging in some more leisurely bathing which always results in some wing flaps to get the water off their wings.

And if a wing flap doesn't do the trick, then a good old fashioned shake is called for.

So finally we come to the star of the show, the lone Common Sandpiper.

It followed in the Green Sandpipers foot steps and had a bath, also followed by some wing flaps.

Sometimes the water repulsion technique involved hovering just above the surface of the waater.

Well, who needs large numbers of waders when when there is plenty of action to photograph. Also some great company and lovely to meet Janet and Steve.