July 2025
July at Ardley began with an extraordinary count of 26 Little Ringed Plovers split between the ERF lagoon and the adjacent quarry. I had evenings of 15, 19 and 19, before JFT hit the crazy heights of 26! I still can't quite believe it, and it seems hard to explain. I think it can only be a perfect storm of the resident breeders and juveniles being joined by a glut of post-breeding birds passing through. But for that number to mass at an innocuous site like Ardley seems a freak event. Numbers quickly reduced again and gradually petered out by the end of the month. As it often seems to do, Ardley throws up some great records. Numbers of Green Sandpipers gradually increased to a maximum of 8 so far. The lagoon is looking perfect, so as always the hope is for some more good waders as the Autumn approaches. Other than Common Sandpipers and Lapwings, there hasn't been too much on the wader-front. A Curlew early in the month was a nice record and the first time I've ever seen one ...