At 9.32am this morning the bird news services reported a Pratincole species present at Frampton Marsh. But with only the bird's head visible in the grass ID was proving difficult. Then at 9.55am it took flight and was identified as a Black-winged Pratincole.
A phone call from Brian asking if I wanted to go for it, was all I needed and soon we were heading up the M11 and A1(M) towards Frampton. Although the traffic was relatively free-flowing, it was still an anxious journey as the Pratincole was a lifer for me, having dipped the Cambridgeshire bird back in 2014, and no news of the bird had been reported since we left home. Luckily as we approached Frampton positive news was posted on Twitter.
We walked along the track and joined the assembled group of birders who already had the bird in their scopes. It was resting on the wet grasslands and apart from a very short flight (no more than six feet) remained there for the next two hours.
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| Reserve Centre |
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| View from the main track |
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| Black-winged Pratincole |
Although these birds are classed as waders they typically spend more time catching insects on the wing, much more like Swallows.
Shortly before 6.30pm the bird suddenly took flight and headed across the track by the old car park and began hawking for insects over the top field, after several circuits of the field it flew over the grass bank and was lost to view. Sadly for the birders just arriving it was not seen again.
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