Arrivals / Departures

Review for the recent weekend. An eventful weekend with a fair few summer arrivals but a few notable birds departing including Fieldfares and a small party of Whooper Swan.

Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th April

Mute Swan - 19
Whooper Swan - 4 (3 adult, 1 young) at Wansford
Shelduck - 4
Wigeon - 2
Gadwall - 25
Teal - 26
Pochard - 2
Tufted Duck - 16
Little Egret - 1 at least, possibly 2
Heron - 20+
Red Kite - 1 over Great Kelk
Sparrowhawk - 4
Buzzard - 20+
Kestrel - 4
Oystercatcher - 6
Golden Plover - 70+
Lapwing - 22 (a poor total for April)
Green Sandpiper - 1
Common Gull - 700+ flying E to roost in evening
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2
Herring Gull - 300+ on ploughed field
Barn Owl - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 6
Sand Martin - 17
Swallow - 6
Meadow Pipit - 15
Grey Wagtail - 2
Pied Wagtail - 14 together on ploughed field (no 'Whites')
Fieldfare - 17 in three flocks
Redwing - 2
Blackcap - 2
Chiffchaff - 22
Willow Warbler - 2
Bullfinch - 2 (a year tick!)

Also noted were a dozen or so butterflies including a Brimstone.

Year list...

078 Curlew
079 Red Kite
080 Swallow
081 Chiffchaff
082 Blackcap
083 Bullfinch
084 Sand Martin
085 Whooper Swan
086 Shelduck
087 Willow Warbler
088 Golden Plover

Photos...

About 30 big gull including two LBBs. The following day there were 300+ Herring Gulls present. Although spring is favourable for Herring Gulls in Kelk such numbers are off-the-scale. What is happening?

A pair of Oystercatchers on a roadside pool.

Weirdly-coloured Pheasant (rubbish photo doesn't do it justice)

Pair of Pochard. This species has been quite hard to find in the last few years.

Whoopers! Proving that you don't need big wetland nature reserves to find big birds. This is just a wet patch on a poorly drained field.

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