White Wagtail, Alston Wetland.
WHITE WAGTAIL REALLY OUGHT TO BE WORTH AN EXTRA POINT in the ELOC little year. A nice clear-cut one was at Alston Wetland early this morning along with (presumably) last night's Dunlin, which was also gone by lunchtime. Birds turn over so quickly here during the spring you have to be on-the-spot or very quick to catch up with many of them. With the present water levels at Alston it ought to compete very well with Stocks for shorebirds this spring. We will see… The three Gadwalls were also present and three Common Goldeneyes linger on. This evening there was not much left in a cold northwest wind although a flock of 25 starlings bathing together here was unusual, presumably migrants as the local breeders are already holding territories in the surrounding villages? No additions to the ELOC year list today, although I see that had I bothered to look at the river at Rib I would probably have seen a House Martin. Plenty of time for that one!