Quick dash to Minsmere

On Wednesday 19th January, there had been no news on the Legs all day, so I left work at 2.20pm but as I walked to the car, a 'Whats App' message appeared the bird had been seen again at Lucky Pool. After last week's success with the Glaucous Gull even though time was limited. I decided to try for it, would I be lucky too? Initially the odds seem to be against me with Lowestoft throwing up everything to delay me getting there, new traffic lights had sprung up along Gorleston Road and the railway line lights were down so a diversion via Prospect road was in order. A good journey to Minsmere had me running or walking via the back of the Sluice and it was really good to see Steve P and John G, who confirmed it was still there. I saw Swans on the South Scrape and raised my bins to confirm hey were 5 fine Whooper Swans, always nice to see, but no time to enjoy as i rushed down past the sluice ang along the raised bank overlooking Lucky Pool. On the right hand side, I spotted almost immediately a slender grey wader and pencil thin bill and white "V" rump feeding along the right margin of the pool but no sooner had I spotted it than it disappeared. In its place appeared a Redshank and a Dunlin. Confirming with Jane F (via phone) I was looking in the right place, the Ferguson luck revealed the wader, the fine Lesser Yellowlegs on the island walking around, its yellow legs obvious even in the fading light. It even walked in front of the island and came clser before eventually returning to the right or north side of the Pool. The walk back revealed the Whoopers had departed to go to roost, several Beardies heard but not seen. An intersting selection of birds on the South Scrape revealed many teal, a male Pintail, c15 Wigeon, 5 Dunlin and several Lapwing. Walking past the West Hide (Wildlife Lookout anyone?) a small murmuration of Starlings flapped noisily from a busk and around 40 flew about and then settled in the reeds. (Note header pic is a Library pic, the Cley Lesser Yellowlegs 4 November 2020).