Potters Bar & Barnet Local RSPB Group

Sunday Car Outings    May - October 2007

by Mary Stevenson

May 6 2007:  Broom Gravel Pits and Grafham Water.  9 Members came.  The weather was good and there was a good assortment of quality birds, mostly warblers and yellow wagtails, also turtle dove and excellent views of a Wilson’s phalarope.  59 species seen. 

Bird of the day:  Wilson’s phalarope

June 3 2007:  Rainham Marshes.  7 in group.  Reasonable weather.  Birds seen included marsh harrier, kestrel, good numbers of warblers and waders, including greenshank, avocet and black-tailed godwit.  Just outside the actual reserve we had exceptional views of marsh warbler.  It was a first visit to the reserve for some of us and the refreshments and facilities were applauded.  Total species seen 54. 

Bird of the day:  Marsh warbler

July and August - no outings.

September 2 2007:  Hall Marshes.  8 participants.  Lucky again with the weather.  Good numbers of birds including early pintail, lots of golden plover, little ringed plover,  good numbers of yellow wagtails, black-tailed godwits, avocets, marsh harrier.  72 species seen.  Excellent for half day. 

Bird of the day:  Common sandpiper.

October 7 2007:  Annual twitch.  6 of us went to Rainham Marshes to look for Blythe’s reed warbler and firecrest, neither of which were showing.  The refreshments were still good.  Proceeded to Cliff Pools where we had stunning views of pectoral sandpiper together with 6 little stint and curlew sandpiper.  Other birds  seen  were little egret, pintail, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, avocet, black-tailed godwint.  65 species seen, good for a half day.  

Bird of the day:  Pectoral sandpiper.

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