Its raining birds hallelujah

 

Black-Tailed Godwits and Knots

On Friday, I visited Goldcliff Lagoons at the crack of dawn. The sky was grey and cloudy, and the rising sun barely made any impact apart from backlighting the gloom with a reddy pink.

As I strolled into the reserve. Signs of spring were everywhere. Blossom on a few trees, Daffodils growing along the reens and Chiffchaffs singing. The weird thing, though, was hearing the clucking of Fieldfares and Redwings in the trees near the reserve car park. The winter thrushes remained hanging about the levels but they soon would be moving North.

I popped into Hide 1 and scanned Monk's Lagoon. It was fairly quiet apart from a Spotted Redshank that was skulking around the reeds at the back of the lagoon. I glanced to my left and was stunned to see a massive flock of Black-tailed Godwits in front of Hide 2.

Excitedly, I speed marched through the reserve to Hide 2. I opened the hide window shutters and was thrilled to see the wader flock was quite happily roosting in front of the hide. The Black-Tailed Godwits were not the only species present. There was a big flock of Knots; in fact, I think it's the largest I have seen for a good few years. I was well impressed and very excited.

I love waders, especially when they are in big numbers. On occasions like this, a photographer has to be all set up and ready, as in my experience, if you are patient, there will be a "Lights, cameras and action moment" when the flock gets spooked.

I waited and bided my time, taking a good look through the flock for something unusual. I was soon joined by one of my friends and fellow birder, Dr Paul  (It's weird how so many of my friends are named Paul - so I have to use nicknames). We chatted and had a laugh. Dr Paul was sure he could see a Bar-Tailed Godwit in the flock.

The noise of the chittering Godwits was terrific to listen to and really caused a sense of excitement, especially when they got really loud and perked their heads up in alarm.

Then boom, it was like an explosion of feathers, up the flock went in panic. Somewhere up there in the sky, we suspected was a Peregrine Falcon.

Just about everything with a feather had taken to the sky and was hurtling around performing synchronised aerobatic displays that any Red Arrow Fighter Pilot could only dream of.

I chose my focus points on the whizzing around flocks and took lots of pictures

From hide 2 I had a spectacular view of the Godwits, which flew very close to my vantage point.

Eventually, the flock got spooked again, and this time they decided to fly over to Becs Lagoon and settle there.

It was time for Dr Paul and me to head over to the Seawall Hide.

A close crop into one of my pictures of the Black Tailed Godwit flock.

Knots were in very good numbers for the reserve.

The wader flock on Becs was now huge. Here, fifty or more Avocets joined the massing birds.

A Peregrine came flying through, and up went the entire flock. The noise of hundreds of flapping wings and panic calls was amazing.

I like reviewing my flock pictures later on my computer and trying to find anything unusual. I knew that at least one Bar-Tailed Godwit was to be found.

Eventually, I found it in the picture below.

Bar-Tailed Godwit - the top bird in the picture.

Bar-Tailed Godwit - Middle bird

We were treated to a really fantastic bird aerobatic show, and throughout,t in my head, I had Geri Halliwell blasting out the song "It's raining men" but in my head, I had swapped out the men for birds :)

It's so good to have the birds back at Goldcliff Lagoons and in great numbers.