The 27th saw another 2 Swallows moving through with 13 Sand Martins - still no large numbers of the latter yet, but it will happen soon! I also had a male White Wagtail briefly on the spit on the 27th long enough for Simon R to see it as well before it disappeared. Shoveler numbers are still impressively high for the time of year - I counted 75 birds on the 27th. There is plenty of displaying and aerial duck chases going on, but they will probably all disappear over the next few weeks. Conversely, most of the Wigeon have departed already, with only 6 birds remaining. Snipe are also dwindling, but it always difficult to get an accurate count of birds as they are usually around the reed fringe - I counted 17 birds on the 27th, but have struggled to reach 10 since.
Blackcaps have now arrived in some numbers. After the first singing male on the 25th, there were at least 3 on the 27th and today I counted 8 birds, 7 singing males and a female. Pretty much all of these have been along the southern side of the lake. Today also brought my first Willow Warbler of the season with a singing bird, again in the southern railway hedge. Another Swallow and 7 Sand Martins completed my hirundine count today.
Yesterday evening, March 31st, a quick stop off after work found 2 Little Ringed Plovers on the east side of the spit. 2 have been reported a couple of time recently, so presumably the same birds - lets hope they stay in the vicinity.
I was hoping for an early tern or Little Gull this morning in misty conditions, but alas it was not to be. A Peregrine powered through, flying steadily east and was my first of the year.
Several checks of the Pump Lane paddocks and vine fields has come to nothing, until this afternoon, when a female Wheatear was using one of the vast network of vine wires as a perch.
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