A Common Sandpiper at the sailing club and another at LFGP were nice.
Later in the day I was excited to hear that the female Shelduck was inspecting the new nest box on the Sand Martin wall and even a pair of Sand Martin were checking out the wall itself.
Today, after all the rain, the rivers were well up so I stuck to the West side of DP, opting for the golf course first, in hope of a chance Pied Flycatcher in the Oaks. No joy, but a singing Nuthatch and my first sighting in 2016 of Coal Tit this year moving along the tops, was good to see at last.
Walking on to the car park field, nothing too exciting, but viewing the landfill I could suddenly hear a Lesser Whitethroat near Lea Farm. Next it was behind me, with another calling from the middle compound.
As I crossed to check them out, 2 finches went over my head with white rumps, neither were Bullfinch, followed by 2 more, I didn't get much on them, but they they weren't Goldfinch either, so concluded they were Brambling.
I did a loop back around to the sailing club beach, by then 12+ Swallow, 2 House Martin and 1 Sand Martin were feeding over the lake, about time we had some birds feeding it felt.
En route I had a stab at photographing Song Thrush after failing to catch Lesser Whitethroat.
The year list is 120, not bad when you look at the podium, 3rd Place = 2013 - 123, 2nd Place = 2003 - 124, 1st Place = 2012 - 128.
In April we are guaranteed to see Hobby, Swift and Garden Warbler, with various other passage species we get most years, so if we get our fair share then this April could at least steal 2nd place, if we have a bumper next 2 weeks, then who knows?
The month is on 102, just 4 off of third place, the podium for the month looks like this, 3rd place = 106 in 2015, 2nd place = 111 in 2003, 1st place = 114 in 2013, so again lots of possibilities.
Post Script Final : Trev had called my phone 16:30 which somehow had been switched to silent, to say he was watching an Arctic Tern at WSL and amazingly a winter Little Gull had flown thru his field of vision while watching it. No twitch on for me and neither were seen again.
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