Maxwits

Bar-tailed Godwits, Maxey pits, 28.4.07 (digiscope)
There has been a massive movement of Bar-tailed Godwits in the last couple of days, across the country. So, I was not entirely surprised, but was very pleased when I found a pair at Maxey early this morning. I was even more pleased when a Whimbrel flew by me with a Barwit for company, but the pair of the deck flew and joined them heading east, so I feared no one else would see them. I let Will Bowell and Josh Jones know, and Josh reported a Whinchat at Deeping Lakes (not far from Maxey). I still want one for my PBC year list, so I picked up Will and we went to DL, but there was no sign of the chat. Will did, however, receive a text from Chris Lines saying he had more than 20 Barwits at Maxey!
So, we returned there instead, and there were 22 of the beauties!
Thirteen of them departed at 9.30, leaving nine. But later in the afternoon WIll had ten (plus a new Greenshank in fine breeding plumage), so another (at least) must have dropped in. So, there have been at least 26 at Maxey today, an astonishing count!


There were still ten there in the evening, including these two birds, who were separated from the other eight.
I have the next week off work and intend to do a fair bit of local birding; Maxey is the subject of high hopes for a good variety of waders...