College Lake U3A Visit

Today I visited College Lake and then onto Pitstone Hill with ten members of the Bourne End U3A group.  We had a great start with amazing views of a Red-legged Partridge with a family of ten or so chicks, in the car park.  Later on, what was probably the same group had moved into the nearby reserve area.

Feeding time in the car park, the well camouflaged chicks all investigating their surroundings.

Red-legged Partridge - The brood safely moved to the reserve area and away from the busy car park.

Then a visit to Graham's hide and the two main hides on either side of the marsh.  This produced several Redshank, a single Oystercatcher, 3 Little Ringed Plovers and about 20 Lapwings.  The Black-headed Gull colony was very active with several well grown juveniles present.  Most Passerines were heard and not seen but we did see Reed Bunting and Reed Warbler.

Redshank, Lapwing and Oystercatcher 

Redshank - Presumed different individuals from the one above.

Most of the group then moved to Pitstone Hill where we had telescope views of Yellowhammer, Linnet and the best bird of the day, Corn Bunting, with two seen.