My son was awake very early today and at 04:45 I decided it was pointless trying to nod off again, so had a cuppa and went out just after 5 and sure enough on arrival could hear Cuckoo from the layby.
The breeze was cold as I marched down to LFGP and on arrival at the gate realised it was too dark for me to see without my reading glasses to unlock the padlocks, I took pictures with my iphone on flash and zoomed in to figure out which barrel needed rotating and despite it taking 2-3 attempts was soon unlocked and in the hide.
A lone Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Tern seemed to be it, until a male Mandarin went over calling low North. Reed Warbler never stopped calling and neither did the Cuckoo, but it wasn't until I got back to my car before I saw it.
In Lavell's car park a female Mandarin circled over calling heading low East, then towards the balancing pool, but then round towards Lavell's, convincing me I should check Tern scrape....I needn't have bothered, there was nothing to see. Sandford had the pair of Oystercatcher and same pair of Shoveler.
I did a comparison of my list by 30th April 2012 and was on 122, so even though the year is going really well, I am 5 behind! Okay, add Lesser Whitethroat and Little-ringed Plover sooner or later, but I need some waders and a passage raptor soon to catch up, not forgetting LSW!
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