☔π Thursday 30th March 2017 ~ I arrived at sunrise for a tour of the reserve before heading off to work with the conservation team. With rain overnight and a nice southerly blowing the chances of a few more arrivals was well on the cards. In fact as I passed through New Hare Covert a couple of
Blackcaps were singing, a nice year first!
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| Oystercatchers at breakfast! |
Passing by the golf course two of the currently resident
Oystercatchers were breakfasting on the green, in search of a few worms no doubt. While here I could here at distance the unmistakable song of a
Willow Warbler but by the time I arrived at the location the bird had stopped singing. However, I needn't have worried about getting my first
Willow Warbler of the year as a second bird was singing at the Carlton Hide and showing very well a short while later. This along with another
Blackcap.
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| A rare glimpse of a Brandon ~ Cetti's Warbler |
In the East Marsh Hide for coffee and several rain showers brought down lots of
Sand Martins, with a couple of
Swallows within. The Martins are already checking out both of the nesting structures. A rare glimpse of a
Cetti's Warbler too in the reeds below and a year best count of four
Little-ringed Plovers on the Islands. The
Black-tailed Godwit remains and was in fact joined later in the day by another two! The two
Egyptian Geese also made a return visit to East Marsh Pool during the morning. The
Goosander is still thriving but mostly on Swallow Pool.
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| Record shot of Juvenile Mediterranean Gull ~ Well picked out by JR... |
Jim Rushforth found a juvenile
Mediterranean Gull on the pool, which I believe is a first summer bird but ageing juvenile gulls is not my forte so I yield to the experts if I'm incorrect.
I spent the rest of the morning over on Farm Pool Reedbed burning off willow with a few of the guys, which I'd extracted earlier in the month and other members of the conservation team rescued and repaired the tern raft, which had broken its moorings.
In the afternoon the sun shone, enticing several butterflies out which included (4)
Brimstone and a
Comma. Other Birds of note today: (2)
Meadow Pipit, (3)
Little Grebe,
Ringed Plover, (6)
Great Crested Grebe, (3)
Redshank and numerous
Buzzards enjoying the thermals.
