Tuesday 7th May 2013

Hard work with grounded migrants almost non-existent. A Reed Warbler is the best offering in the bushes although several Whitethroats & a couple of Lesser Whitethroat appear to have settled into territories around the site. Down to just 2 Wheatears on the reserve. Going south 32 Swallows, 10 Goldfinch, 3 Barnacle Geese, 2 Sand Martin, 2 Yellow Wags & going north 2 Swallows & 2 House Martin. Offshore 16 Little Tern, 14 Common Tern, single Sandwich Tern, Curlew & Kittiwake went north although we are getting to the time of the year when a few terns are starting to loiter of the river mouth.  A teneral damselfly on the Butts was presumably a Large Red Damselfly that had emerged from the Butts pond & unsurprisingly is the first Odonata record of the year.