21st April. Godwits On Parade

Regular followers to this blog (such as the criminally insane and my Dad) will have spotted the removal of some of my last posts content. Plainly and simply I bobbed my pants and realised that even no-mark scumbags have Internet access and might even be capable of stringing a couple of words together in Google - such as my name!  The current situation is that the Police are dealing with it and will hopefully make a few arrests in the coming weeks.

Anyway back to the birding.  This has got to be one of the slowest Springs in a long time, with the flow of migrants being more akin to a dripping tap than a full on flow. Willow Warblers are only just becoming obvious and Sand Martins have either suffered crossing the Sahara or their just hanging back - though Swallows seem to be plentiful!

Some decent birding weather occurred on Thursday with a nice easterly breeze combined with some low cloud and rain. An early start on the patch paid dividends with a group of distant Black-tailed Godwits on the causeway between the two lakes. First there was four, then eight, then fourteen and then, when I got to the previously out of view south side of the causeway, an amazing twenty-six. With quite extensive dark orange underparts they appear to be birds of the Islandica race. Seemingly there was plenty of food for them as they were still present the following evening when I shot this video.

Pushed for time I moved to the northern end of the large lake and in the now heavy rain picked up another prize, a cracking adult summer Little Gull. Unfortunately it only stayed for ten minutes or so before heading north.


Lots of Wheatears over the last week with an all time personal high of 23 last Saturday (14th). With the seemingly blocking conditions most of them still remain with at least 15 still present yesterday.