Changing into wellies on arrival is a must if you decide to go and visit. Hundreds of visitors plus poor weather has turned the fields into mud pits and without wellies you will be wet, muddy and uncomfortable. The sun was out with slight cloud cover and after the short walk to the location I was pleasantly surprised that only 6 people were present. I was so expecting there to be many more.
Armed with a tub of freshly fed-up live mealworms (the birdies favorite), I scattered a generous amount around his preferred perch. During the first hour or so he was very active around the stream which borders Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. So confirmed sightings to both counties today :) It made a quick visit to the perch, so quick that we missed the photos. As it was warming up the insects came out and back to the stream it went to feed. Great views, but none of the desired photos.
A pair of treecreepers kept us entertained as by this time a few more visitors arrived so pointing them out as they jumped from tree to tree was a bit of a challenge. Goldcrests, long-tailed tits, great tits, grey wagtails, buzzards and a sparrowhawk were all pleasant observations.
The hours passed and the birdie wasn't coming for the banquet that was laid out for him...just as a few of the others were about to leave, he flew to the adjacent bush and within a minute down he came for a mealworm. This continued for a good couple of hours, providing the few birders who had remained with stunning views on his favorite mossy perch. During this time a nice raven flew over but most were busy looking at our eastern visitor.
He seems to be changing colour, so there is some speculation about whether he will fully molt into breeding / adult plumage before he leaves? We will have to wait and see.
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