Very productive hour

I got out at 08:10 and was just level with Teal hide when I heard my latest year tick. a Coal Tit, but it only called once.

Moments later I heard then saw a pair of Mandarin flying away from me along the Loddon, which I then flushed again outside Ron's hide, where they flew towards the North end of LFGP.

When in the hide, I found 2 Oystercatcher, joined by 3 more briefly, one landing in front of the hide so I missed the brief chance to get a record shot of all 5, but did get one of the one close by.

I could hear Redshank, but it took me ages to find it and when Brian walked in, I said that it was so noisy there must be two around, moments later, one, then the second joined it in front of the hide.

bloomin twigs

 

The Mandarin were now circling the lake every few minutes and we watched them land in the Oak at the North end, you can make the female out in the bottom left and the male just about in the top right of the shot below.

A flock of about 35 Fieldfare and 20+ Redwing had taken my attention for a moment and I was packing up to go when a large gull circled in with LBB's, but it was a nice mid grey above and I said "we have a good candidate here", it landed in the SW corner and sure enough was a rather splendid 4th calendar year Yellow-legged Gull, which stayed for all of 2 minutes.

After all the fun of earlier, I am looking down the list of 88 species so far for March and think we could easily blow the 95 record out of the water.

Birds frequently seen in March, but yet to reported are (in bold would be year ticks) : Bittern, Pintail, Garganey, Red Crested Pochard, Goosander, Ruff, Little-ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Jack Snipe, Med Gull, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Wheatear, Blackcap, Brambling & Linnet.

Stonechat get back

I went down to the end of Sandford Lane and checked the puddles once more for pipits, or wagtails, but again no joy, I heard 2 Coal Tit calling from beyond the house next to the Jolly Farmer pub and thought I bet I could hear them from the golf course so headed off there to try.

After about a 5-6 minute wait, I gave up and the presence of 3-4 dog walkers without dogs on leads...of course, made my decision to head for the car park field. As I got to the newly cleared exit/entrance, I happened to look back and caught a glimpse of something small moving near the small ditch, I thought it might just be a leaf blowing across, but on lifting my bins was a little surprised and a lot delighted to see a female Stonechat, a great get back on the one seen by Renton in January beyond Ron's hide.

Inevitably, a dog walker arrived within moments and the bird moved to one of the bridges as captured in my last shot and then darted into the garden to my left and neither I, nor Brian and Alan could re-find it.

Historically March has been an okay month for Stonechat;

2016 - 16th
2015 - 18th
2005 - 16th
2004 - 26th
1996 - 10th
1988 - 24th to 27th
1984 - 1st, 22nd & 24th
1981 - 15th

March Dunlin

Richard called me at 11:45 saying "Dunlin on BSL sailing club beach"....."on my way" I said and 5 minutes later was watching a nice winter plumage bird from 45 feet. Great to get a Dunlin so early in the year and 4 out of the last 6 years have had March birds, but prior to that we have to go back to 1998.

The trend so called, is either first week, end of 2nd week and end 3rd week, almost never last week.

2016 - Mar 15th
2015 - Mar 23rd
2012 - Mar 3rd
2011 - Mar 5th
1998 - Mar 23rd & 24th
1996 - Mar 25th
1994 - Mar 16th
1993 - Mar 20th
1991 - Mar 7th
1989 - Mar 13th
1987 - Mar 1st
1986 - Mar 14th
1984 - Mar 9th
1983 - Mar 21st
1981 - Mar 22nd

It was great to see this bird and so close, allowing some rather nice record shots.

Slow start to month

I got an hour in 09:30 this morning, but had another look at the flooded field at the East end of Sandford Lane,  a lot less BH Gulls, 6 Greylag, 3 Egyptian, 10 Canada, 3 Mallard, one Pied Wag heard, but nothing else. It is perfect for pipits, namely Rock and Water, but it will need to stay as wet as it is now to pull one in...I'll keep looking.

At Lavell's I just did the car park field overlooking the landfill, plenty of Red Kite up, a Sparrowhawk, 10-20 Redwing in the field, with singing too.

I was following a Kite, when I picked up a flock of about 27 Golden Plover moving sort of East, the usual distance of about 3+ miles and quickly out of view beyond the green barn. A Great Black-backed Gull was nice too, as was the Skylark, all three being new for this slow starting month.

At 77 we are 8 off the bottom score for March 2003, 2007 & 2015, but there is lots to add yet, including Bittern, if someone other than me wants to get out and check before dusk this week.

Where are the Shoveler

It occurred to me while adding species for March I hadn't seen a Shoveler for a while, so while I was out Sunday, I looked around but couldn't find one. It was only doing a loop up to WSL, that I by chance peered North down Heron's Water (looking for Ferruginous), that I found a pair.

I'll probably do a review of counts, but am not sure I have access to everything in one place to make that happen quickly.

Anyway, I am still yet to get out early one morning, in hope of something good, Rock Pipit must be a possibility now, they are being seen at Farmoor.

Old March posts reloaded

I did a quick walk this morning, a lone Male Goldeneye and a Little Egret were my highlights, so with a very cold breeze and nothing about it is time to reflect on past March records, with many splendid species, now highly unlikely to reoccur.

13th 1980, the first Grey Partridge for the park (AC).

8th 1981, the park's first Jack Snipe (AC)

Feb 28th 1984 a Pink-footed Goose was found (FJC & MR), staying 29th and 1st March. 15th same year the first confirmed Oystercatcher (MC & KT).

On 20th March 1982, a lone Whooper Swan flew in from the West and may have lingered for a few hours (MR, JBu & Bird Walk).

March 23rd 1984 a female Red-breasted Merganser was on BSL (BU), then 5th 1986, 4 females flew over (RTT).

On 12th 1983, 18 Brent Geese went over from the West 07:18, seen from North Sandford (Lavell's), circled and nearly landed, then headed off West (FJC, PJ & MR).

On 13th 1984 at 07:03 an Avocet flew over BSL, nearly landed on Sandford and North Sandford (Lavell's), then flew back to BSL and landed on the edge of lake mid way along the golf course strip for a few moments, before being flushed by a dog walker at 07:13 (there's a surprise).

Then 13th 1986, 2 male Common Scoter were found on BSL in the afternoon (FJC & PB), a single 22nd & 23rd 1996 and another single 18th 2004.

29th 1986 the first Merlin went over (T Bedford)

Rock Pipit : March 2nd, 11th & 12th 1983, 29th 1991, 2nd 3rd 1992, 20th 1998.
Water Pipit : March 15th, 16th & 17th 1981, 15th & 20th 1982, 10th, 11th, 12th & 16th 1983, 10th 1984, 30th 1986, last recorded 21st & 22nd 1992!

So little activity

February ended without much event, although if we assume Tawny Owl and Ring-necked Parakeet were around somewhere, the month provided equal 2nd position with 2008, so ahead of every year but 2012.

What this means if anything is that we start March 2 on 93 species, so 2 ahead of the year list in 2007, 1 shy of 2005, 2 shy of last year, 7 shy of a podium 3rd place position.

By the end of March we would expect year list first appearances from;

Blackcap, Little ringed Plover, Sand Martin and Redshank

But good chances, subject to weather, wind direction etc, of;

Ringed Plover, Jack Snipe, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, Swallow, House Martin, Willow Warbler, Brambling & Linnet

I feel we should remain hopeful and vigilant of visits from;

Uunusual wildfowl, especially Scaup, Common Scoter, but other geese and swans, plus Yellow-legged Gull, Rock & Water Pipit, in that order. March isn't a bad time to pick up Green Sandpiper too.