Although I have visited Alkborough Flats quite a few times, I hadn't visited since last October, and never in June. The lure of a potential lifer in the form of Glossy Ibis made me choose this site as this week long trip. It was warm, but the wind had a fresh feel and it was mostly overcast with a few sunny spells.
The water in the main lake was very high and few birds were showing, so I didn't stay very long in the hide. I initially planned a circular walk, but didn't take my wellies, and the path to the Trent was flooded in places, so I ended up walking back and forth.
Cetti's Warblers were in evidence from the car park and a pair of Bearded Tits showed briefly before the hide. Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Skylarks and Reed Buntings were in song. In the distant floods, there were some egrets. A few of them looked bigger, in comparison with Grey Herons standing close, they were three Great White Egrets, the largest number I've seen, and s county tick. There were six Spoonbills on the same area, their top-knots being waved in the wind as they sleep. A passing Marsh Harrier flushed the Little Egrets and about 20 flew up, this is the largest number of Little Egrets I've ever seen.
I regularly heard booming Bitterns today, possibly two, they only called 2-4 times each time, but their calls came from both sides of the main path. Later I flushed another in a different area of the reserve.
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