Wood Sand

Bit of action up at the pit this week, a Wood Sandpiper spent a couple of days up on the big water. Nice attractive bird, sleeker than the common-er sandpipers, and fairly rare on passage, so a good standard noteworthy tick any year. Brought a few county birders up to our splendid little patch.
Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, still add flavour, and the Reed Bunting vid comes from Pleasley too.

Today I spent my lunchtime in the gardens at Hardwick Hall, and do you know I saw just the bird I went there to see. Yep, over goes a Hobby while I'm tucking into my cheese sandwich. We are on a ridge so raptor passage does have potential. Had a probable, let's say possible, Honey Buzzard go over during last year's invasion but being at work I was too busy and without bins, couldn't confirm the bird for myself, and it stays probable despite one being reported 10 minutes later a couple of miles away in the right direction.

Edited to add: Another lunchtime, more birds, 2 Ravens over for short time until they could takes the harrassments froms the Jackdaws no mores! Don't get many of those in our part of the county.

Yellowheads

Relieved of baby-sitting duties I whipped down on the bike to the pit hoping I might get part of the Ring Ouzel influx that's begun, the pit being the best local spot for passages. Checked every Blackbird and no luck so far as that bird goes, still got a decent bird, my first Yellow Wagtail of the year (#135), a pair in fact. To go with the two Ringed Plover and two Redshank.

Distant but you get the idea.

Plenty of Yellowhammer on the way too.