10th April. Back in Black

Keen to get down and score the first 'gropper' of the year I was at Orgreave just after 6:30. Unfortunately no 'groppers' in yet and worst still thick fog over both lakes. I tried to salvage something by doing the areas away from the water only to find that the fog was following me around, like something out of a dodgy Hammer Horror film. At least one Greenland type Wheatear was just about visible - to be honest though there could have been a dozen or so lurking in the murk. After an eye-straining hour or so the fog began to lift and I was able to at least scan the edges. A couple more peachy Wheatears on the path, a Dunlin and a couple of White Wagtails were the fruits of my labour. However almost the last scan of the largest lake produced a couple (presumably a pair) of Black-necked Grebes. Being the 4th and 5th Black-necks in the last 9 months, they are almost as common as Little Grebe here!