Back to normal

06:30 today and it was back to quiet times, but it felt like there was potential.

Common Terns are here in numbers now, at least 18, making a good deal of noise, but waders were limited to 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Oyc, 1 Lapwing.

Little happening at the other end, the Lesser Whitethroat still noisy in the car park field.

Predicted joy turns amazing

I was watching the weather forecast for the last 2 days and the forecast said S to SE winds and rain for dawn. I was all set for waders galore!

Peering out of my curtains at 06:00 "err where's the cloud and rain" I said to myself.

A quick peek at BSL, nothing happening but 3 Little Egret upstream from the sailing club bridge and I could hear the Lesser Whitethroat in the car park field.

I called at Jack's and off we set at 06:25 for Lea Farm G.P. As we entered the enclosure I was opening the hide gate and a bird took my attention at the top of an Alder. I binned and got the huge 'super' ..."Whinchat" I pronounced and went to scope while Jack clicked away on his camera.

For about 40-45 seconds there it perched, what a beauty.

And we hadn't even entered the hide!

In we went and quickly scanning the SW corner....there were no waders whatsoever! But 10 seconds later "Black Terns" I shouted ...."5, 6 no 7 Black Terns!"

They were as the species always is, highly active sweeping back and forth over the lake, WhatsApp messages sent, we waited but barely 8 minutes and the tern vanished. Brian arrived and we kept checking just in case they returned. Jack has a few shots I'll share when he sends them over.

At 07:26 I heard the highly distinctive "Tu Tu" and called "Greenshank" as it dropped into the SW corner. Just one half decent shot achieved

Moving on we headed to BSL in case an Arctic Tern or Little Gull was around, no joy but we instantly got on the 7 Black Tern on the West side. Even more mobile they spiraled up to 1000 feet and I lost them heading SE.

A few bursts of Nightingale, lots of Garden Warbler song, Cuckoo in support, all amounted to a special morning for my birthday.

Back from a late afternoon sneaky peek and no massive changes, except a distant Hobby at the South end of BSL leaves no further 'expected' migrants for the year list.

Friday to Sunday

Friday started 05:54 with 8 Common Tern over Sandford, at LFGP I found 4 then a 5th LRP so quite nice seeing such numbers. A Snipe flew past low left, a Common Sandpiper, 8 Teal, a Shelduck, 2 Gadwall and the daily Grey Wagtail collecting food.

At BSL c100 mixed hirundines plus 1 then 3 Swift.

Back out at LFGP and it felt more quiet, but 4 Garden Warbler by the benches and the usual Lesser Whitethroat in the car park field was nice enough. 4 Swift over BSL today and a march up to the BSL/WSL hedgerow got us nice views of Nightingale thanks to John McGowan's keen scoping.

Today I was filled with high hopes and little time, so arrived even earlier. My hopes were somewhat fulfilled with 2 Ringed Plover and 3 LRP on the East shore. A second scan revealed the male Garganey yet again in the NE corner!

Nothing except a pair of Mistle Thrushes over BSL, but at the car park field a Yellow Wagtail called once as it headed over NNE.

Waiting for it to get warmer

Cold bright mornings are lovely, but they don't do much for migration, at least around our way.

The Sand Martins appear to have survived so far, 2 LRP's looking interested still, a Shelduck, 4 Teal left, a Little Egret over, a Grey Wagtail gathering food, Kingfisher over, 4 Common Tern over, but very little else.

At least the Lapwing gave me something to try and get shots of

I saw 2 dead Shrew on the paths today, if that is what they are, what the hell is that about, territorial disputes?

2 cold mornings

Good grief it's cold for late April. Yesterday I was out at Ron's hide by 06:15 and the cold made my fingers tingle. 5 Common Tern overhead, a pair of LRP's were looking even more keen and clearly prospecting the SW corner islets, the Lapwing looks as keen as ever, the Oystercatchers too. Later Geoff said 2 Redshank was also looking keen.

I can't even remember a time when we had 4 wader species thinking about breeding, I don't think it's happened before.

Now thinking, prospecting and actually breeding successfully are very different things, with constantly patrolling Jackdaw and Carrion Crow, it is no easy thing settling down. If I have it my way we shall lose a few of each in an attempt to give the waders a fighting chance.

Now add to that a male Shelduck which is also chasing any bird with white on it away, where is the female? Perhaps she's already on eggs on top of the Sand Martin wall?

A male Shoveler is looking fresh and I'm wondering where his lady is too? It's all too much to hope that all of the above and even a pair of Teal might be thinking this place is destined to hear the patter of tiny webbed feet. I'd be excited to have any of them give it a proper try.

Also at LFGP a Common Sandpiper, 10+ Sand Martin in the wall....awesome. At BSL a male Mandarin,

Today I was earlier, there by 06:05, carbon copy of the birds, but even colder. The Redshanks flew in 06:25. And on BSL 21 very cold looking Swallow perched on the wires, the Lesser Whitethroat calling all the time at the bottom of the car park. More and more Reed and Sedge Warblers around Bittern hide.

Dawn chorus snippets

Dawn chorus on Saturday morning was perfect conditions, still bright, but not too cool like so many recent mornings. My commitments meant I could only do the first hour and a quarter. The Nightingale sang well, albeit from the island, many other warblers too, but that was all I had time for.

Sunday was work party and happily I did catch a few blasts of Lesser Whitethroat in the car park field at the start, then a short burst of Garden Warbler too.

At Lea Farm, a pair of LRP were sounding interested in the SW corner.

The same applied this morning, with the LRP's making indentations in one of the SW corner islets...not a safe place to nest. A Shelduck, a male Shoveler, a pair of Gadwall, but too misty to see how many Teal are left, 1 Common Sandpiper flicked across to the South spit.

At BSL, 2 more Common Sandpiper together was nice, 2 Common Tern, 1 male Mandarin and the 2 Little Egret perched high in one of the tall Ash trees begged the question if we'll ever seem them breeding at DP? The Lesser Whitethroat was noisy in the car park field, but mobile enough to be seen.

Later today Geoff said a pair of Redshank were displaying, imagine that Lapwing, LRP, Redshank and Oystercatcher all breeding, it would be amazing.

Mid afternoon at home and as I was on the phone I binned a Hobby buzzing a Red Kite...nice!

April Partridges go further afield

 After my walk this morning, I was getting ready to take my son to school, peering out of my kitchen window I could see a Pigeon and something else under the feeders, but as it was facing away I couldn't quite make it out. As soon as it turned it was obvious I had a Red-legged Partridge.

It remains in my garden now, pecking at weeds and moss on my path and looks fab wondering around between the footballs, cones, goal post and trampoline.

First few minutes

Nearer

Finally it was 45 feet from the house walking between the various toys and balls