Report from 3 to 6 July 2024

With the beginning of July, and after a long spell of unsettled weather, summer has definitely arrived. It is a time of year when bird sightings of note are few and far between, but can actually be quite interesting. This week saw the arrival of a pair of Black-necked Grebes. The last time we saw this species here was fifteen years ago, and what’s more, this week’s pair consisted of two pristine, breeding-plumaged adults: chestnut body, black neck, golden ear tufts, and extraordinary glowing-red eyes. I have photos that document their presence, but they are not up to the standard of these reports.

Nothing else worth remarking upon happened. In the two colonies – the terns and the heronry – things are going just as expected.

For most of the year we see Cattle Egrets in their all-white, rather nondescript plumage. During the breeding season they acquire colourful tufts on their chest and back, and a wacky crest.