May 14th to 16th 2010

May 14th 2010
Met up with Dave for our normal end of week coffee session over at Brandon Marsh then a walk around the reserve but it was very quiet. There were at least 4 Lapwing and 2 Oystercatcher chicks on show with the young oiks swimming from island to island. Also present were 3 Common Tern, 6 Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, 2 Redshank and Buzzard plus my first Hornet of the year.

May 15th 2010
Two Barn Owls were hunting along the Southam Road early morning while nearby there were 4 Red-legged Partridge, Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, 2 Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat and a Common Sandpiper on the newly created Kites Hardwick fishing pools.
Draycote Water had female Wheatear, 5 Yellow Wagtail, male Garganey commuting between toft and rainbow while the bird of the morning was my first of the year Turtle Dove flying over toft shallows towards Dunchurch. Two Ravens over Dunchurch and a Spotted Flycatcher near Cock Robin were seen on the way home.
First time in four years I gave National Moth Night a miss due to the continuing cold nights but it looks like it could be warming up in the evenings soon.

May 16th 2010
Dave and I decided to see the Oriental Pratincole at the RSPB Frampton Marsh Reserve in Linconshire which had been present for a week and performing well. Unfortunately due to the cold wind on our arrival it was keeping to the ground and occasionally showing from behind a clump of nettles on one of the islands before it warmed up and performed in front of its admiring public feeding over one of the many scrapes. The reserve was well worth a search and we ended up with 12 Little Egret, 4 Little Gull, 6 Corn Bunting, Ruff, 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Marsh Harrier, 3 Greenshank, Turnstone, 10 Little Ringed Plover, Hobby, Pintail, Yellow Wagatail, Wheatear and Wood Sandpiper among the more numerous Redshank, Avocet, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Also present on the nearby Wash were 40+ Brent Geese and Grey Plover.

Richard