Whimbrel, Arcot Pond.

The now weekly Saturday birding jaunt with Howdon Blogger left at 6 a.m. as usual and started off at the Rising Sun so we could view the Great Spotted Woodpeckers' nest that i found a couple of days earlier. Enjoyable views of the female coming in to feed young in disappointing light leading to high ISOs on images.
On to the Beacon Hill area taking in a couple of places, i've since learnt we shouldn't have been, our first bird of the morning was a Pied Flycatcher. On an unnamed lake two families of Canada Geese both with young, an adult from each party decided that "this lake ain't big enough for the two of us" and the peace and tranquillity was shattered as they tried to drown each other. In another wooded area that was out of bounds i saw a pair of Redstarts then John put me onto nesting Blue Tits, Wrens and Robins. A couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were briefly seen flashing by, more conflict.
We both were having to cut our day out short so on the way home we called off at Arcot. Initially it looked quiet on and around the pond but a Grey Heron was spotted at the back of the reeds then pairs of Pochard and Tufted Duck and a single Coot on, with a number of Swallows over the water. Another pair of Blue Tits nesting was nice but as we left we both caught a glimpse of something landing in the long grass in the south east corner. We diverted slightly on our exit and up went a Whimbrel calling as it flew off in the direction of Big Waters. This one's for you Alan.

Any idea what was being fed to the young ??