Waders, Gulls, Summer Migrants and a few Ducks!

I had a few free hours yesterday afternoon, so I popped down to Ogston Reservoir to see what was about. As a member of the Ogston Bird Club, I had access to the Members' Hides.

I knew that there had been a Black-tailed Godwit around for a few days, so I was very pleased to find it feeding about 40m away from the hide. They aren't that common in Derbyshire, so to get good views was a real treat.

Black-tailed Godwit

Next up was Snipe. These are much more common than the Godwit, but the Members' Hide at Ogston can often allow you to get some pretty close views. On this visit, I saw 4 different birds, all feeding along the Moat area.

Snipe

Two other species of wader seen were: Lapwing and Oystercatcher. Both species breed on site. I managed to see three of each of these birds.

Lapwing

Oystercatcher

Along with the waders, were four species of gull: Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Ducks seen were: Teal, Gadwall and Mallard, including a female with 11 ducklings (my first of the year).

Mallard

Last, but not least, were the newly-arrived summer migrants. Swallows, Sand Martins and a single House Martin were all seen.