Blacktoft Sands visit

A small group fron our local club had a trip down the motorways to Goole and across to Blacktoft Sands RSPB reserve,for various reasons our first visit of the year. I think we may have visited sooner if last years Montagu's Harrier but only the female had been seen. Our main target birds this time were the waders on their return passage from their breeding grounds. We were not disappointed, probably the biggest gathering of Common Snipe, I can recall,more Black Tailed Godwits than you could shake a stick at (only seen more once before and that was at Leighton Moss) and over 20 Spotted Redshanks. It was good having Common Redshank alongside to show the comparisons between the two Redshanks to a couple of beginners with us. A small flock of Golden Plover came over but landed out of sight beyond the reedbeds. A good number of Ruff kept flying in with the males showing a great variety of plumage causing more problems  for our beginners but that is the advantage of going with a mixed group,always some helpful pointers from the more experienced birders and the odd scope to help see detail. Among the small birds were the usual flock of Tree Sparrows on the feeders, a small number of Pied Wagtails and large numbers of Goldfinch. We were a little disappointed the Marsh Harriers had moved off but we hope to be back in winter for the communal raptor roosts. It often seems a long way along the road from Goole to the reserve but it is quite compact on the reserve once there with very easy walking and good hides covering a large area of the reedbeds,well worth a trip if you have not been before.