My projected second half of the year

Migration came to an abrupt end, but not before I added Greenshank on the 14th, then a Nightingale 17th, back on the 'picnic island' and I'm glad I went same day because it did not sing 18th, nor since, so we assume it moved on and I doubt we'll ever see one on DP again, unless we get very lucky with a random bird.

Nothing much has happened since, I carried on early mornings most of May, the Oystercatchers appear to have finally reared a chick beyond the danger period and it must be due to fly off any day. Mute Swans have done okay, the BSL pair had 10 cygnets, but this quickly fell to 5, Lavell's have 4, the Lodden pair had 5, but that is now 3. I haven't checked the other lakes.

The Great Crested Grebes on Lavell's had 2 young, but both are gone as of this morning, the Coots at Lea Farm are always in grave danger from Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, or other predators, the Terns seems to have 11-12 pairs, this could be growing, 3 or more pairs Sandford, but yesterday's rain and unsettled weather does not give me faith the latter has much chance.

If we have flooding, then the last raft only has 1 pair of Black-headed Gulls, so with a bit of luck they'll re-camp there. The Sand Martins are doing just fine some say 40 holes occupied.

Lots of Garden Warbler all around, an amazing spring of Lesser Whitethroat could mean we have 2 or more pairs? If you see Willow Warbler anywhere let me know, Sedge Warbler may be around I'm only aware of 2 singing birds in May.

Redshank and LRP still about, little sign of an attempt at breeding, this is likely to be due to Jackdaw, I hope we can have a massive cull in the future for when we've done all the habitat creation in the NE bay of Lea Farm Lake.

Cuckoo still calling this morning and finally, I picked up a Green Sandpiper, no doubt yesterday's LFL individual, but now happy on Tern scrape bund....we must strim the vegetation.

Green Sandpiper June records;

7th : 1992 & 2019
8th : 1993
11th : 2009, 2016
12th : 2004, 2006,
14th : 1994
18th : 2000, 2012
19th : 2005
23rd : 2002, 2018
24th : 2013
25th 1997
26th : 1995,1999
27th : 2010, 2015

That was a fun first half of the year, so what will happen for the second half? 14 good candidates to potentially add, plus we seem to see great surprises every autumn, but what occurs the most are the following, and I have attempted to put it the order we've seen past records;

Black-tailed Godwit - from last day of June all thru July
Linnet - Any warm day, but if not peak passage is mid Oct
Dunlin - A total guess
Ruff - August, but any month really
Little Owl - A night visit required, but October has produced in the past
Yellow-legged Gull - Late July and Aug, good chance if loafing gulls pattern continues
Pintail - August is a good time
Marsh Harrier - early Aug onwards
Stonechat - Sept onwards
Osprey - Sept to Oct
Merlin - Oct
Jack Snipe - Oct
Lesser Redpoll - Late Oct and Nov
Med Gulls - Nov and Dec

I've done a little checking and since 2012, we have averaged at least 2 mega's in the last 3 months of the year, 4 last year alone.

Whilst it has no bearing on the future, it reminds us to look darn hard until the 31st of December, because at the moment so if we can get the 8 in bold above and just a few of medium rare species we have had in the last 7 years, plus long awaited repeats and overdue firsts and we are on track for a new park record, so anything out of this list (bold red are new for park);

Great Northern Diver (most overdue species as a tick for the park)
Black-necked Grebe
Storm Petrel (Random in storm conditions)
Spoonbill (I can't believe we haven't had another since 2007)
Brent Goose
White-fronted Goose (none since 2002)
American Wigeon (If LFLis safe from disturbance 2010 highs of 1,000 might occur, so who knows)
Green-winged Teal (Our Teal numbers have tripled since 2006, it's just a matter of time)
Scaup (easily overlooked)
Ring-necked Duck (long time overdue species, our Athya record is good so one will occur soon)
Long-tailed Duck (not a sniff since the only 1983 bird)
Smew
Honey Buzzard (2016 dark morph bird seen by FJC & TAG was almost certainly one)
Red-footed Falcon (Sure I saw one briefly 2012, only confirmed was 1989)
Spotted Crake (none since 2002)
Red-necked Phalarope (why not)
Sanderling (with LFL East shore improved, chances must improve)
Curlew Sandpiper (only record 2nd Oct 1988)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Spotted Redshank
Wood Sandpiper (last was 2 in 2011)
Turnstone (last was 2012)
White-winged Black Tern (I believe)
Arctic Tern (rare in autumn, but last were Aug 2015 & 2016)
Red-rumped Swallow (one in Oxon this spring)
European Bee-Eater (can occur anywhere)
Waxwing (a fly over)
Redstart (none in car park field since 2016)
Dartford Warbler (do get into all sorts of scrub outside breeding season)
Firecrest (must come thru most years)
Bearded Tit (we've got the reeds, come on!)
Red-backed Shrike (early Sept, perched near the scrape)
Snow Bunting (no reason one couldn't put down on the gravel lake edge)
Little Bunting (often seen at feeding stations)
Yellowhammer ((one must fly over now and again)

I dare to dream and never stop looking, have fun folks