Still cold!!

Morning and evening visits to the Flashes today, still cool and little happening in terms of new migrants. The Ashton's evening whimbrel roost was the highlight, reaching a locally impressive 32 birds. Single black-tailed godwits, dunlin and common sandpiper were on Neumann's, along with a pair of redshank which hopefully will settle to breed again. Reed warblers were evident, and my first whitethroat of the year this am, along with 3 wheatears still on Ashton's.

Cold April Patch

An early wander around the flashes en route to work today in bright but bitterly cold conditions - there was even a frost on the car! Dave H had found a smart winchat on Ashton's before I arrived, and we also saw 3 wheatears. LRPs were display flightIng and there were 2 oystercatchers on there too. A single common sandpiper was the only migrant in Neumanns. Looks like a couple more days of cold northerlies before it finally switches to easterlies and hopefully birds this coming bank holiday weekend.

April 21st Patch

A couple of visits to the patch today yielded 2 smart yellow wagtails, 2 LRP and a dunlin on the Mere, whilst over on Ashton's this evening there were 12 whimbrel, 2 redshanks, 2 LRP and a single dunlin - passage!! Reed and willow warblers now in, and good to watch the distant peregrines on and by the nest on Griffiths Road.

Easter Monday on the Patch

Spent a few hours around Marbury in cloudy conditions with a chill NE wind, hardly ideal birding weather. The highlight was watching the lesser spotted woodpeckers at the nest - changing over so presumably now on eggs. Along the fishermans footpath it was a pleasure to watch 5 shelducks in courtship at close range, lots of posturing and fighting away the unattached male bird. A woodpecker drumming across the Mere in the heronry wood sounded like a lesser spot - is there another pair? There were large numbers of sand martins over the Mere, with a handful of swallows and house martins. 3 common sandpipers were also present and my first reed warblers of the year singing from the Coward reedbed, but otherwise new migrants hard to find. Still good to be out, even if it doesn't feel too spring like.

Spring on Scilly

A late booked week on Scilly with the family and friends started superbly with a lovely purple heron, seen well in flight on the day we arrived at both Porthellick and then Lower Moors, before giving stunning views on LM pool yesterday afternoon. A fabulous bird and a pleasure to watch it painstaking stalking fish, swaying its neck and finally lunging. Awesome.

Stonking purple heron Lower Moors

Photo by Paul Hackett, who came over from London just to photograph this bird - I can see why!

A couple of days later, on Tuesday 10th April, news came through of a rock thrush on St Martin's, reported by a non birder and likely to have been present for several days. I was busy rock pooling with the family (which was great fun) and so ambled over on the afternoon boat. Lovely to be in the right place at the right time, with no pressure (as I'd seen two males previously), and to enjoy this crippler in glorious sunshine and stunning setting with a handful of friendly locals. Seen with a black redstart at one point too. Fab.



Much better image, care of Peter Tongue

There was a red rumped swallow on St Mary's and both hoopoe and Subalpine warbler on Agnes that I didn't have time for. I did see a few common migrants including my first house martins and whimbrels of the year and it was nice to see a few greenshank too. Another perfect visit to these wonderful isles.