quiet indeed, but hopeful for July

After yesterday's horror of watching an adult Herring Gull devour both 2 week old Coot chicks in just 3 minutes, I saw nothing of note today. 5+ Swifts high up, about the same House & Sand around Lodge Wood, a few Lapwing, 1 LBB Gull, 3 Gadwall, the 3 sitting Common Tern was something to be grateful for.
Listened hard for Linnet, but no joy. No other waders, no wildfowl, no chats, no wagtails, no raptors, but a Nuthatch, possibly 2 above the path near Teal hide suggests a slight local family movement. Hoping for Green Sandpiper any day, Common too, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, LRP and Black Tailed Godwit are all possible, as are Black Terns, more Garganey? Checking tit flocks for anything, especially late this month into Aug for Wood Warbler.

Common Sandpiper in June

Saturday afternoon a Common Sandpiper was reported at LFGP by 2 people, but no sign on the Sunday, or since. This is just the 5th ever June record when we would normally be expecting Green Sandpipers to begin coming thru. A pair Hobby were perched above the main island reeds during the Sunday work party tea break, which is always nice.

Slaughter of gull chicks by Mink

Having made the effort with DP staff to try and save any chicks of any species on Sandford during heavy flooding, I was saddened by the flooding itself, then enraged today to discover ALL the 22-25 Black Headed Gull chicks were gone and the only likely culprit was Mink. I for one will do all I can to wipe out this non native vile predator from the Loddon valley. This spring alone, they have devasted all the gulls and terns nesting on Lea Farm GP and now Sandford, but at the moment we still have one remaining tern raft on Lavell's with 7-8 pairs of Common Terns with 5 chicks so far. Animal rights twats who let the mink out, do not identify yourself to me, or you will get a hard punch in the face.

Missed the first ever Quail

2012 is not working out to be a good one for adding to the life list, first I blew it on the Cranes and now I missed hearing the Quail reported on the 20th, having to leave before dusk, it called just once around 21:30 and the weather has been rubbish since, so not a call since. Even as a heard it became the 213th species for the patch. As nobody saw the Cranes they remain off the list.

Total wash out of wetland species

I met up with Richard and members of the DP team who brought old boats to moor up and we attempted to save the nesting birds from the low lying islands, specifically the Oystercatchers. But we were too late finding 2 of the 3 chicks already drowned and no Common Tern chicks hatched meant all eggs were lost. We did manage to save 22-25 Black headed Gull chicks and by save I mean transport them to the anchored old boats, so can only hope the foliage we placed inside would be enough cover. As we left many adults returned to sort out families, but the Oystercatcher constantly circling overhead calling mournfully, left me close to tears.

Nice start to June

A text from Geoff that he had a Garganey was quickly confirmed as a male going into eclipse, only the third ever June record for the area. Also present a pair of Shoveler, a very fine Little Egret, a brief but close Hobby and the most unusual of all a 2nd summer Yellow legged Gull, that quickly departed NE, then off SE.