Friday 27 April 2012

Filling up to the brim

Update on Edderthorpe Flash late afternoon;- the flash is almost as full as it can get, nearly up to high river level. Hundreds of nests have been flooded out including 8 sitting Lapwings, a couple of Redshanks, untold numbers of Mallard and probably other ducks such as Shoveler, Grey Partridge, Reed Buntings, etc. All the duck are out on open water (nowhere to hide) and include;- Mallard 117, Gadwall 90, Teal 20, Shoveler 8, Tufted 44, Shelduck 2. Five Avocets are floating around looking puzzled, the 8 Black-tailed Godwits left north at 17.00, 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 8 Redshank and 30 Golden Plovers flew north. Judging by the number of female Mallard back with males it looks like about 50 nests have been washed out!
Houghton Washlands which is slightly further down river has not yet been inundated from the river. However, there is a lot of standing water which has also devastated the breeding Lapwings here too, of 8 sitting birds all appear to have been lost.

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