Avocet At Freiston Shore

Back many, many weeks ago when we started the AlphaPonty Challenge I wanted to start with A is for ... Avocet. Here we are on the cusp of P week and I finally get around to it! Better late than never eh?

Went for a wander around Freiston Shore this morning with Dawn's Auty Ruth and her Grandmother, who is affectionately known as U-Hu. Everyone should have a U-Hu! She is called that because when Dawn and her sister used to walk passed her house they would call "yoo-hoo". We walked along a different part of the reserve, the meadow side, for a change. I was rather glad we did. The small lagoon had about thirty avocets on it feeding, as well as a couple of Common Terns. Whilst watching, a small brown/grey bird flew over that caught my eye. I thought it was a Kestrel or a Sparrowhawk at first glance. I watched it land behind the hedgerow behind me. Within a minute the loud and very distinctive call of "Cuck-coo .. Cuck.coo" started! I had seen my first Cuckoo of 2012. Despite patiently waiting, it never appeared my side of the hedgerow, so there's no photograph I am afraid.

The rest of the walk, when I caught up with the others, yielded a wonderful Skylark singing in flight and my first ever sighting of a Merlin, Britain's smallest world of prey, as we headed back to the car park. I am going how with a serious number of new ticks for the year list and life lists!

The rest of the day has been a full Sunday roast beef dinner with all the trimmings, and Christmas Pudding for afters, with all of Dawn's immediate family.

It will be time to head back home again tomorrow. We are hoping to do one last bit of birding whilst we are still here, and are hoping the weather holds good for one more morning.