Autumn migration is now getting underway so time to spend a couple of hours at Rye Meads. The scrape outside the Draper Hide is looking fantastic although a slight drop in water levels would be beneficial as it would expose more mud and bring birds closer. The Little Grebes had obviously been successful as witnessed by this adult carrying a humbug on its back.
One of the commonest birds at Rye Meads are Stock Doves which both feed and drink on the scrape, but also sometimes breed in the owl boxes. Today no less than 16 were present.
The Common Terns didn't seem to be doing very well, being largely ousted by the Black-headed Gulls. There was only one pair present in front of the hide and only a couple more pairs and a couple of chicks on the tern rafts.
.....................and were joined by a lone Common Sandpiper.
Round at the Kingfisher Hide the pair were still feeding their third brood in the nest and here is the female bringing a fish for the young. It was also encouraging to see the other pair at the Draper Hide still entering their nest hole so hopefully on eggs.
But the star of the show today was the stunning Greenshank that flew in about an hour after I arrived. It gave me about 10 minutes of photography time before disappearing into one of the many bays and was never seen again. Definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time!!
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