Arrived at Goldcliff to be met with the lovely sight of a large blue tractor whizzing around cutting the fields around the pools. Luckily, the waders on the first lagoon weren't too perturbed and, beyond flushing a few Snipe every now and again, Farmer Giles didn't fuck things up quite as much as I thought he might.
Amongst the waders were: 3 juvenile Knot, 1 Spotted Redshank, 6-7 Greenshank, 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Snipe and 93 Ringed Plover (including one colour-ringed/flagged individual), however, the highlight was provided by a juvenile Little Stint which appeared overhead before dropping in and pottering up and down the near edge of the island. Also dotted about were about 10 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Pintail and 1 Swift,... oh, and the Chinese Goose.
However, the most exciting occurrences were the two torrential downpours which whipped though, the first just monsoonic rain, the second rain, hail and some impressive electrical activity,... it left a right old pong of ozone hanging in the air. The last time I had lightening baked O3 wafting around the nostrils, I was hiding under a rock on a Turkish hillside thinking Grey-headed Bunting was to be my last tick. Happy days.
A flavour of the second opening of the heavens can be sampled here, unfortunately, the really close clap of thunder and crack of lightening happened just after I stopped recording.
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