Sunday March 13

 A largely cloudy morning with an increasingly strong south-westerly. Dave and I resumed our efforts to find something new at Morton Bagot. The omens were good. A Red Kite flew by shortly after we set off from Netherstead.

Red Kite

Always nice to see, but not even my first at Morton Bagot this year. 

A little further on I heard a snatch of Chiffchaff song. Dave missed it so we paused, expecting it to sing again. It didn't, and to our surprise there were no others for the rest of the morning. 

We reached the flash field to find the water level still high. Optimism deflated slightly. Scoping from the top of the rise revealed only the usual Teal, a female Wigeon, a couple of Black-headed Gulls, six Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and a Lapwing. 

The nearest flash contained an ever increasing stock of Shelducks. Initially just a pair, but then a second pair flew in and there was much head-bobbing display and chasing as the original pair sought to assert their ownership. Then a fifth bird (a male) arrived and confusion increased.

One of the females finds itself the object of attention

Eventually they sorted themselves out and we were left with the original pair.

Meanwhile, behind the flash field a large assembly of corvids, Jackdaws and Rooks, took to the air. We didn't see the cause, but an adult Peregrine had flown by earlier, so maybe they were just jumpy.

Corvids

We ambled back, accepting that spring remains elusive. Two pairs of Lapwings displaying over the unplanted HOEF land was a reminder that it won't be long to wait though.