Wag Flava

A report of a Corncrake at Frodsham Marsh on Saturday morning encouraged me to return for another walk around number 6 tank.

As I set off my mood was one of ludicrous optimism rather than hope or expectation. With similar positivity the boys, sorry grown men, of the local model airplane club were busy preparing a runway by cutting a strip through the meadow with a sit-on lawnmower, but judging by the straining windsock, the aircraft were in for a morning of severe turbulence.

A couple of hundred yards further on from the airport I encountered a pair of Yellow Wagtails foraging on the metalled track. Whether because they were busy concentrating on feeding or simply didn't care for my presence, the birds afforded very close views. Frodsham seems to be a stronghold in Cheshire for this species and I located three more individuals - all single males, or 'Young Bucks' as they would be called in India - along the south side of the tank.

The north side of the tank, near where the Corncrake was seen, was quiet although there were a couple of Little Ringed Plovers patrolling the edge of water. No sign of the Little Stints either, and of course, the Corncrake if it was there, kept hidden from view and refused to call - I'll see one eventually!

In other news, me and another two birders saw a very interesting Egret species at Inner Marsh Farm yesterday (16th) evening. As the bird flew in - directly in front of the hide - I nearly called Great White Egret, but it didn't seem to be large enough, although it was certainly bigger than a Little Egret. Fortuntely it landed in the corner of number 2 pool where it stayed for a couple of minutes - just long enough to get the salient features. The legs were yellowish around the tibias and darker around the tarsus'; the bill was greyish to dark and relatively long; the neck was fairly long too with a distinct kink and there appeared to be a red ring on the right leg. When the bird flew off, the wings were definitely wider and longer than a Little Egret and the wingbeats slower - an intriguing sighting?

Having seen thousands of Egrets in India, the bird it most resembled was a pale phase Western Reef Egret or an Intermediate Egret but I don't think it was either as barring an escapee this would obviously be next to impossible. Let's hope that it hangs around and that the next observer has a camera!

Until later.