Friday March 6 - Earlswood Lakes

 A grey, cold day was ideal for a visit to Earlswood. This may seem a strange statement, but I think events showed I was correct.

Shortly after arrival, as I concluded an attempt to count the Snipe on one of Engine Pool's rafts (19 for the record), I looked up just in time to see two Shelducks heading over the causeway between Engine and Terry's Pool. This was actually quite a coup for Earlswood where they are barely annual, and I think it was only my second site record. Unfortunately my camera was tucked away in my bag, and I'd have struggled anyway.

I retraced my steps in case they had landed, but as expected, they had not. A single drake Goosander was the only bird remotely Shelduck-like on view. Further signs of early spring came with a singing Chiffchaff (I'd heard another along Springbrook Lane), and many of the Black-headed Gulls being black (well brown) headed.

I made my way towards the causeway between Engine and Windmill Pool. Standing around on the causeway can be surprisingly productive, and after about fifteen minutes I found an early Sand Martin flitting around the centre of Windmill. This was the species I'd been hoping for (it might even be my earliest ever). I typed its details into Whatsapp, but on looking up found that it had disappeared. 

Around the same time a Red Kite flew over, which at last gave me the chance to photograph something. 

I decided to walk back via Engine and Terry's Pools. 

The resident drake Wigeon still think's its a Mallard

Back on the other causeway I heard a singing Blackcap, maybe a summer visitor but more likely a wintering bird which has started singing before trekking back to central Europe. Many of the wintering Redwings are also now singing prior to departure. I wonder whether this is more common nowadays because I don't remember noticing it so often twenty years or so ago.

For the walk around Terry's I was joined by Tony P. When we reached the stump feeder he produced a bag of bird food, and the local Tits surrounded him. He's like a modern day St Francis of Assisi. I left him tending to his flock and headed home.

PS: The Sand Martin was my equal earliest, the other being at Upton Warren in 2002.