April 25th 2009

Not a day for being on the sofa. Similar to last Thursday the weather was forecasted to be south east with a rain front coming in about nine so wasted no time in getting down the pond for 6am and felt a little frustrated that I had only 2 Common Tern, 2 first summer Little Gull, 6 Swallow and 5 Yellow Wagtail but the rain arrived an hour earlier than predicted and as it started to ease off the first birds started to appear with a Ringed Plover going over north east followed by 2 Artic Tern and one Sandwich Tern that flew in to toft bay before leaving.
A male Wheatear was next to arrive feeding on toft bank followed by 4 more Common Tern arriving from the east and 25 Common Swift were found high above the reservoir along with 160 Swallow 40 House Martin and 10 Sand Martin.
You can never be everywhere at times like these so two visiting birders gripped me off with an Osprey, 4 Whimbrel and 3 adult Little Gulls while I was looking for warblers. A least 2 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler seen amongst the many Blackcaps, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff and just as I was leaving a male Whinchat was on the footpath fence of the Alpaca field. Other sightings included 3 Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 2 Shoveler, male Teal, 3 Green Woodpecker and Herring Gull immature but I could not find the Great-northern Diver.
Just after mid-day I took up the opportunity to see the 8 Whiskered Tern in Derbyshire – had been 11 yesterday which is unprecedented in this country – usually one or rarely two but eleven!!!!, by the time we arrived at Willington Gravel Pits numbers had been up to 10 from the 3rd platform. Also seen were Whinchat and a Hobby. On the way back called in at Crossington Meadows LRWT, Leicestershire where one of the 2 Pectorial Sandpiper was still around on plover meadow before a welcome evening meal out.
Last nights trap had Brimstone Moth and Pine beauty in my trap bringing my Warwickshire species count to 75 for the year.

Pine Beauty

Richard