With reports of Blackcaps and Sand Martins in the week I was optimistic of another first for the year this morning. With rain forecast it was an early start for me and a singing Chiffchaff as soon as I got out of the car, a good start. DK was an early starter too and we checked out the main lake which was noticeably down on wildfowl. Pochard seem to have departed with DK reporting none for the previous couple of days either. Mute Swan numbers are also well down, the resident pair seemingly taking control with just a few interlopers hanging around. There are still quite a few Tufted Ducks around with the males now sporting particularly fine plumage.
Several Coots are now nesting with a pair over by the main lake hide, a pair in the north west corner and a pair on the Finger Lakes. Other pairs hold territories along the north shore of the main lake. A handful of Great Crested Grebes remain including the pair on the Finger Lakes.
At the Spit we spotted a Chiffchaff flitting about in the trees and had good views as it went about the business of feeding up. We heard a Blackcap singing quite strongly but couldn't locate it as it stopped shortly after. 20 Redwing passed over east. There wasn't much else about on Fingers, a few Tufteds and a couple of Gadwalls. JA joined us for a loop around the Crescent, where a Kingfisher passed through, before we headed around to the Rough where EG was ringing. We confirmed he had not been using a Blackcap tape this morning!! He hadn't caught much but had a good round shortly after we arrived, including 3 Long-tailed Tits, a Redwing, Great Tit, Blue Tit and a Dunnock. Another check of the nets and the Chiffchaff, that had been singing while EG processed the first batch, was in the bag. It was sporting "Pollen Horns" as explained in EN's blog here.
We left EG to it and continued around past the Sedgewick seat where we flushed a couple of Teal and a couple more Gadwall were tucked around the corner.
On Kings Mead there were the usual Canada Geese and a single Greylag. In the Cormorant roost tree I spotted a single Cormorant with a Stock Dove for a neighbour. A quick stop at Kramer hide but little of note although the Mute Swans look to be nesting in front of the hide this year.
Along the east side of Fingers DK was just showing where the 12 Little Egrets had roosted the previous evening, when one dropped in! Nice to see a day time visitor, maybe they will nest here, we can only hope.
No Grey Wagtail along the Canoe Slalom this week, but back at the main lake DK spotted 3 Sand Martins over the north side. We were soon onto them and shortly after EG phoned to say they had passed over the Rough. Not much to see from the main lake hide. Next stop was Fenlake but no Stonechat or Snipe, just Black-headed and Common Gulls and 12 Teal.
That was pretty much it, we had the usual suspects along the west side of the main lake and then it was back to the VC to add the Sand Martins and 6 Chiffchaffs to the sightings board.
On Sunday next week there is the next guided bird walk starting at 9am. Don't forget the clocks go forward the night before so we'll be into British Summer Time. See you outside the Visitor Centre.
I moved onto Putnoe Wood where the Friends Group had organised a litter pick. 24 bags of litter were collected from this small wood, a great job done by the group.
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