15th Apr 2018: Spring migrants galore!

I apologise for the lack of postings recently, especially as we have been having a very good period of bird sightings... John's tenacious effort for working the patch has very much been rewarded. There have been quite a few things spotted in the last week or so, so I apologise if I have missed anything. All photos in this post are courtesy and copyright of John.

5th: John found four Greylag Geese and four Tufted Ducks at the reservoir, which were later joined by five Shovelers. Mike believes these were birds from the flooded valley that moved as the water receded. There was also a single Swallow that flew through.

7th: John and I had two House Martins, alongside several each of Swallow and Sand Martin, and heard our first Willow Warbler of the year. Kyle later confirmed there were at least two Willow Warblers along the river. 

9th: John found a drake Common Scoter, which only stayed for the day. 

10th: In the morning Mike and John saw our first Common Sandpiper of the year and a Redshank flew through calling. There was also a Redpoll still present, seen along the river. That evening John found our first (two) Yellow Wagtails of year.

11th: An adult Kittiwake flew through going east. 

12th: A stunning summer plumage Black-necked Grebe found by John was present this morning and stayed for two days, enjoyed by quite a few local and visiting birders. 

In the morning there was also at least three singing Willow Warblers, a Little Ringed Plover and a White Wagtail. Through the day a Common Sandpiper and at least four White Wagtails were seen and John Bowley reported a brief sighting of a Rock Pipit. 

13th: A Little Grebe was on the reservoir, alongside the Black-necked and a Great Crested. This is possibly the first time ever that three species of grebe have been at the reservoir at the same time?? A male Shoveler also flew through and there were two Common Sandpipers later in the day. The Black-necked Grebe was last seen late on the Friday evening and I assumed it moved that night. 

14th: Mike was out early and recorded our first Sedge Warbler of the year and a Common Sandpiper. I was out a little later and there was two Common Sandpipers and a single Greylag went over. The Willow Tit and a Jay were in the wood. The tit was actually quite vocal on the southern edge of the wood. A few Skylarks and a Meadow Pipit went over. 

This morning (15th) Steve and Colin saw a Little Ringed Plover, two Common Sandpipers at the reservoir and nine Tufted Ducks at the Borrow Pit. They also had at least six Herring Gulls go through south-east. This evening John and Mike recorded three Common Sandpipers, at least six male Blackcaps feeding together in the willows along the river, a Yellow Wagtail and a Curlew fly through.