Terns everywhere but here

Amid fairly serious flooding I had to drive all the way via Winnersh to get to BSL and viewed from the fishermans car park end for 20 mins, just 2 Common Terns on view in the murky post rainy conditions. I drove round to the sailing club and viewed for a further 40 mins, waiting and hoping a Black Tern would drop in as 8 were reported at Sonning Eye. It was not to be, just 4 Common Tern, although the 30+ Swift was a high count for the year so far. I did hear a Lesser Whitethroat somewhere along the gold course strip, but without wellies and the fact that the Emm Brook had breached the beach, this was not a route I would be taking today.
Yesterday I did a quick sortie around Lavell's 6 Common Tern, a Garden Warbler at the back of Tern meadow was about it. Later I finally uploaded the pics of a Common Sandpiper at LFGP on the 27th.

Flooded Garden

Most of the lakes are flooded and water still rising this afternoon, my first Garden Warbler for the year was singing well during a lull in the rain, near the yellow iron gate. Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers singing in various places and a good feel to the air, but no waders other than an Oystercatcher on Sandford, where the Mute Swans nest has probably just been flooded out.

More timely luck

I had only come down to LFGP to check that the boat was secure should flood levels rise even more, Steve was in th hide, but I scanned and quickly saw one of the two terns present was an Arctic. Another lucky get back after missing Wednesdays late afternoon individual. With a text sent out to the usual locals, I thought nice for a few more than just Steve and I to see it, but it was not to be, it slipped away without us noticing by 13:20. A pair of Redshank were noisy, 5+ Swift and a good handful of Swallows, Sand Martin and 2 House Martin also went thru. Nothing to be found on BSL in a one minute look, just more hirundines.

Osprey

At 12:18 I had an amazing bit of luck having ran to car to shelter from a heavy shower, I decided to move the car so I could look North from the car park and immediately saw a large raptor circling over Lavell's at about 150ft. I lost view for a moment behind the top of a Poplar, then it came back into view,  hovered for a moment and through the heavy rain I could only just make it out as an Osprey, it circled twice then off North over LFGP, where it was chased by BH Gulls. Only my second ever, my other being back 16th Sept 2002, but also my first spring bird.

Said I wasn't worried

Picked up Reed Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat on BSL viewpoint late afternoon.

Getting a bit behind

Am now 9 behind on the park year list which is an amazing 125 already, but am not worried about Lesser Whitethroat, Hobby, Green Sandpiper, Cuckoo & Reed Warbler, even Marsh Harrier has been a species I have connected with 5 out of the last 7 years. Yesterdays Arctic Tern was a blow and another brief visit this morning didn't produce any, just Common Sandpiper on the beach again and 4 Swift overhead.

All too brief visit

With so many Arctic Terns and Little Gulls being reported all over inland waters across the UK, I thought the strong Southerly winds and heavy rain, might make it worthwhile and I would love to have stayed longer, but in two brief BSL visits 09:00 and 13:00, there were none here. I did however pick up a lone Swift moving quickly thru North, 3-4 Swallows and Sand Martins doing likewise between a brief lull in the rain.