Sightings

Main sighting: wood warbler

wood warbler heard late afternoon in both locations

Main sighting: Fieldfare

A surprise calling Fieldfare for my early BBS visit. My first Redstarts of the year plus one Swallow and singing Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers.

Main sighting: Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper at Machine Pond, briefly joined a Cormorant and pair of Canada Geese on the floating island – a very occasional passage visitor. One Swallow picking insects off the pond, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers singing.

Main sighting: Dipper

Three dippers “flirting” on the river.

Main sighting: Little Ringed Plover

2-LRPs on the shingle bank,before seeing them there must have been 50+ Sand Martins at the river bank prospecting nest holes.3-Goosanders(2f 1m),m+f Mandarin ducks,1m-White Wagtail,1-Common Sandpiper,further along the river more Sand Martins were seen but not in the numbers previously seen.Also one more LRP sighting which could have been a third bird or one of the two seen earlier.Also my first Orange Tip butterfly of the year and a flock of 17-Cormorants flying up river.11h15-13h50.

Main sighting: Wheatear

Three first on the tumble for the year. Pair of Wheatears several Stonechat and a male red start.

Main sighting: Osprey

Osprey reported by anglers this morning – heading north up river.

Main sighting: Curlew call

Heard curlew calling

Main sighting: Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher and 2 Tree Pipits

Main sighting: Redstart

Redstart

Main sighting: Red Grouse

8 Grouse seen or heard from the “grouse walk” at dawn. Also 2 Stonechat and several Skylarks

Main sighting: Great White Egret

En-route to hides: robin, cettis calling, pheasants, pied wagtail, blue tits, 5 fly-by grey herons (one carrying a large twig), chaffinch, woodpigeons, crows, chiffchaffs, blackbird, blackcap and wren. Hide 1: skylarks, 3 ruff (one with a neat white head), 40 shelduck, Canada and greylag geese, 4 lapwing, mallards, lesser black-backed gulls, 15 redshanks and 18 teal. En-route to hide 2: magpies, herring gulls, goldfinches and a water vole. Hide 2: 715 black-tailed with 1 bar tailed godwit mixed in, 83 knot, 13 wigeon, shoveler, 2 spotted redshanks (getting darker), 16 swallows, 3 cormorants, 2 avocet, 2 oystercatchers, reed buntings, great white egret dropped in briefly then took off again, 1 snipe, linnets, meadow pipits, red kite being mobbed by shelduck, 1 dunlin, pair of mute swans, pair of gadwall and a fox on the bank outside of the fence area.. En-route to platform 15 passing sand martins. Snipe platform: coot and little grebes. Marsh platform: male stonechat. Hide 3: 2 ringed plovers, pink footed goose (water right of hide), 75 more shoveler, 4 more wigeon, 74 more avocet, 15 more gadwall and sparrowhawk. Back at the car park: green woodpecker calling and long tailed tits.