April belatedly

Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd April

A whizz of a summary before my upcoming visit for May. While there had been a modest arrival of spring migrants, there was a long way to go.

Gadwall - 10
Teal - 1
Tufted Duck - 4
Marsh Harrier - 1 'creamcrown'
Buzzard - 20+
Kestrel - 7
Water Rail - 1 is the latest spring record
Oystercatcher - 2
Little Ringed Plover - 1 is the first for 5 years!
Snipe - 1
Common Gull - 740 flying to roost
Little Owl - 1
Kingfisher - 1
Sand Martin - 30+
Swallow - 40+
House Martin - 20+
Yellow Wagtail - 3
Wheatear - 1
Sedge Warbler - 2
Blackcap - 17
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Whitethroat - 1
Chiffchaff - 20+
Willow Warbler - 14
Linnet - 80+

Also a few butterflies

Peacock - 10+
Small Tort - 20+
White sp. - 4
Holly Blue - 1. These are fairly uncommon locally.

Here's the Little Ringed Plover. The dry winter left almost no wet patches in the fields. This remnant being the most likely to hold a spring wader... and sure enough.

A good few additions to the year list (90 at the same stage last year):

083 Swallow
084 Yellow Wagtail
085 Blackcap
086 Willow Warbler
087 House Martin
088 Little Owl
089 Sand Martin
090 Marsh Harrier
091 Little Ringed Plover
092 Sedge Warbler
093 Lesser Whitethroat
094 Whitethroat
095 Wheatear