May 5th 2011

Draycote Water was cloudy with an east south east wind which brought in a Little Tern at 8:40 seen flying over valve tower towards biggen bay before returning where it was mobbed by a Black-tailed Godwit. The blackwit landed on draycote bank but the Little Tern had gone by 8:43. Our walk out to farborough spit produced adult Little Gull, 2 Common Tern, 3 Dunlin and 200 Swift otherwise quiet until Bob hobbling back from toft bay rang to say a Whimbrel had landed between us on farborough bank so I managed good scope view while Bob captured its image.

Whimbrel by Bob Hazell

Other sightings today included 2 Gadwall, 2 Yellow Wagtail, House Sparrow, Collard Dove, Sedge Warbler, 5 Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warbler and 5 Buzzard while overhead a steady passage of Lesser Black-backed Gulls headed north. We stayed around till 2pm in case other goodies appeared which gave us a time to find 3 Small Copper, 3 Grizzled Skipper and Holly Blue butterflies.

Small Copper taken in 2009

Late afternoon visit to Napton Reservoir produced Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper plus Reed, Sedge, Garden, Willow and Grasshopper Warblers also Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Bunting and Bullfinch while another Hobby was over Calcutt.
A warm night so far with my moth trap doing overtime so hopefully more to add to the year list in the morning.

Richard