Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Wednesday April 11

It's now approaching mid April and I was hoping this evening's visit might gain me a year tick or two. A quick scan of the flash confirmed the presence of a Shelduck, but this was to prove to be the only new bird tonight. Mind you, the sun was shining so it was already a whole lot better than my last visit. Through the bins I could see that waders were present. They turned out to be a Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, and two Little Ringed Plovers. I could only count six Teal, and about 15 feisty Lapwings. A single Swallow was hunting insects in the lee of the hedge bordering the flash.

As I was leaving, a couple arrived hoping to see the Little Owl, but although I was able to direct them to the right tree, I had to admit that I hadn't seen it tonight. The walk back was enlivened by the presence of 11 dots jinking over a field adjacent to the pool. I eventually heard their calls and confirmed they were Meadow Pipits. In previous years there has been evidence to suggest that a few roost in the marsh at passage times, and I 'm sure these were intending to do that. Finally, a Peregrine took off from one of the masts and flew away over the ridge.

Shelduck
It took me until 2010 to add Shelduck to the Morton Bagot list, but the following year a pair not only summered but also bred successfully. This year the water level is a lot lower than it was in April 2011, and although Mike saw one a few weeks ago, I would not have been surprised if that had been the only one this year. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

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