March and recent highlights.

 An adult Whooper Swan on the 24th March was a brief visitor as was

 this smart Bar-Headed Goose on April 4th. Perhaps this individual had decided to take the easy option and head for Thornton, rather than fly north over the Himalayas from wintering grounds in the Ganges valley! More likely an escapee from a collection. We have now had Black Swan and Bar-Headed Goose this spring, both popular exotics in the county.

Other species seen in March included Grey Partridge, 3 Shelduck on the 7th, and Red Kite on the 10th. On the 17th Redshank, Sand Martin and Meadow Pipit were recorded. A single Wheatear was seen on the 27th and the first Swallow on the 30th.
After seeing a fly through Common Tern on the 1st April, highlight later that day was an Osprey carrying a fish and flying north over the lodge. My first Common Sandpiper was on the 2nd feeding on the dam.