5th May: mid-Spring update

Sorry for the lack of posts recently and this being a brief round up of the highlights. It's been a good couple of weeks with other bits of interest in between too. 

On the 22^nd  Ian had our first Garden Warbler of the year. 

On the 26^th I had a walk up the valley and there was a Willow Warbler up by the Borrow Pit pool and there were at least four Lesser Whitethroats around. On the Borrow Pit the Little Grebes only had 2 chicks left and there were 2 pairs of Tufted Ducks displaying and very vocal amongst 30 or so birds.

In the morning of the 29^th Adrian had a single Arctic Tern pass through. Mark had a Little Egret and Reed Warbler in the evening. 

Mike was out in the moning of the 30th and found a fairly showy Whinchat. Sandra and Adrian B also found a singing Cetti’s Warbler which was in the hedge between the water treatment works and the cattle field. (It was a patch tick for me!)

All photos courtesy and copyright of Mike Pollard

In the morning on Sunday 3^rd I had a Oystercatcher at the reservoir. A little later Clive had 2 Common Terns and Mark had one still, or another one, later in the afternoon. 

This morning Ian found a nice summer plumaged Dunlin on his walk around and 2 Common Terns.