Unlike the weather BHM is far from dull

On Black Hole Marsh this afternoon there were a 2 ruff, 1 spotted redshank, 1 lone ring plover, 3 green sandpipers, 1 kestrel, 3 little grebes, 5 black tailed godwits, 5 little egrets and a substantial number of teal.   Several vocal water rails can be heard near the tower hide this week.  Although the light was atrocious it did not stop me taking a few photos as you can see.

Kestrel

Spotted redshank

Ruff

Teal

 Finally some distant views of last weeks bittern from the tower hide

Spotted crake and the cuckoo

I know this cuckoo has been around for a while now but it still deserves a few photos.  Spending most of its time near the tram line it poses beautifully every now and again.  

The spotted crake found by Ian Hunt from the local ringing group (who was kind enough to let people know) proved to be a very pretty bird and far better than last years distant blob on the river.  This one was very obliging and we did not have to wait long before it showed itself well.

and lastly a few more of the cuckoo

Another osprey

It was great to see another osprey this afternoon on the Axe even though it did not linger long

Unfortunately this is a back view but it does show it was an unringed bird

Also plenty of kingfisher sightings throughout the wetlands

Still amazing

Black Hole Marsh continues to hold a wonderful number of waders though a

sparrowhawk yesterday morning was making life difficult for them all before eventually flying off still hungry.

The stunning curlew sandpipers remain (still numbering 17!)

and a turnstone continues to find food under and around the walkway to the island hide

Lots of ring plovers

and dunlin are still close by the hide

including this very dark coloured one

and there were 2 little ring plovers close by too

This was a very vocal common sandpiper

and this beautiful black tailed godwit was asking to be photographed

A few yellow wagtails have been passing through though rather quickly

and finally cannot resist a few more curlew sandpipers