Saturday 3rd. Nothing new early doors just a couple of Fieldfare leaving the roost in the willows on the wetlands and the 2 drake Scaup still on the motorway pool. The SEO seems to have moved on having not been seen for over a week, a check of its regular roosting site revealed plenty of pellets and general muck and feathers!
SEO PELLET.
A little passage in evidence with the good early spring for Curlews continuing as a flock of 5 headed west and then the finding of a Black-tailed Godwit with the resident redshank on the 'wader scrape'. Only just above annual status here so a good early record, the bird was present for about 10 mins before being booted by some tetchy BHGs and heading of west at 8.35am.
Black-tailed Godwit.
Black-tailed Godwit.
Not much else new after this, drake Smew still tarting about on the main lake and later in the day DD and SC had 2 Ringed Plover,Bittern and a singing Chiffchaff - new in or winterer ?
Sunday 4th. A damp start but immediate pay off with 4 Sand Martins chirruping about overhead on the wetlands!! These birds later moved to the main lake and are the earliest ever recorded at Pugneys, beating the old record by 3 days.
Very little else new in the way of new/moving birds until DD called to inform us that 18 Whooper Swans had just dropped in on the main lake. Legged it over and had a look at these whilst drinking a Latte in the cafe - posh!!
Some of the Whooper Swans.
Still drake Smew (in flight west over wetlands) and 2 Scaup and 4 Shovellor was the best of the rest.
So, a good couple of days. Lets hope the early migrants are a sign of things to come and also lets hope the reasonable levels of coverage continue! To encourage folks to get out looking i am gathering votes for a bit of a fun sweep to predict the next new species for the recording area - you will read it here first !!
Nice Blog Jonny. Congrats on the Sand Martins!
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