White -tailed Lapwing at Frampton

On Saturday 12 March, I was offered a lift by John H to go and see the White- tailed Lapwing at Frampton. We arrived at this impressive reserve with paths forming a square around the main marsh. As we were walking down, a small group of around 30 Wigeons feeding on the grass. We walked around past a painted bouy and a rflector pasr a gate them we looked over a marshy area and the excellent White- tailed Lapwing was seen partially obscured sitting in the grass. Typically lapwing sized with very pale buff-brown back, the feathers hung over the slight black shown as a line denotong the black on the folded wings, buff brown head cap and behind eye and a whitish supercilia, white below, obvious white tail and sicilian lemon yellowlegs! The bill showed a pale loive at the base and black to its tip. As I was setting the camera up the bird stood up and walked into the grass slowly disappearing. It was seen again walking left again partially obscured some 40 minutes later and 10 minutes after than it was walking right behind the island when I had a glimpse in the gap between the islands. We walked back to the car for lunch and 2 Goldfinch were seen in alders by the car parking area, then an incredible 750+ Golden Plover (in 5 distint flocks) flew over us and west and then south. Walking back the bird was seen just past the gate in the northern section of the marsh before it was again seen in the original area, although it had disappeared I picked it up back in the northern section again where it fed along the edge of the island being almost always partially obscured. A very deliberate short feeding style walking a few steps then stopping and feeding style which was very similar to its cousin the Northern Lapwing. It even fell asleep and roosted for some 10 minutes before feeding again and then disappearing amongst the undergrowth. A chap had picked up an excellent bouncing Jack Snipe and we saw it bouncing and slowly walking/ bouncing left before it too disappeared from sight. Walking back, around 30 Brent Geese and a Pink- footed Geese seen plus the c15 Wigeon were again feeding close in on the grass and I managed to get a couple this time in perfect light. On the journey back on the east side of the road just past Swaffham travelling south, 3 Buzzards over the road and I was delighted to see 4 Fieldfares flying south low over the field, I have spent the last few weeks looking for them to no avail, until today!