Insects and Orchids.

This Broad -Bodied Chaser was at the ponds at Browns wood and Common Spotted -orchid was at Church Farm.

Large numbers of hirundines are frequenting the reservoir and a Hobby is regularly seen. An afternoon walk up to Browns wood produced 7 species of butterfly. These included Small Heath, Small Copper, Large Skipper, Common Blue, Peacock, Large White and Speckled Wood.

Post card from Barney!

For those of you who are missing Barney, well we recently had this holiday snap from him, post marked Svalbard!

More Waders.

Some brief heavy showers encouraged some passage birds to drop in over the weekend.

The increasing mud was also an attraction.

On Friday 13th 2 Ringed, 1 Little Ringed and a single Dunlin were on the mud opposite the lodge.

On the morning of 13th there were also 5 Oystercatchers. By the evening there was only one left. It was enjoying a feast of Swan mussels and was still there on the 15th.

I had to take this photo of Brown's wood. It is hard to imagine that only afew years ago it was an arable field. This is the same site that hosted a Stone Curlew in May 2003.

News from Thornton Mudflats!

More mud at the top end.

Tawny Owl on the rough.

Common Tern.

Sedge Warbler singing.

Probable White Wagtail.

Water level drops further.

The increasing mud around the res. has attracted this Little Ringed Plover.

LRP's will attempt to breed in shingle areas, but I am afraid that the disturbance around the reservoir may not be to their liking.

A flock of 5 Yellow Wagtails were in the fields off stoney bank. They seemed to be all males.

Finally a flock of at least 10 Arctic Terns flew over on the 27th heading NE , nearing the end of their epic migration.

Waxwings with the spring Migrants!

Male Yellow Wagtail.

Common Sandpiper.

Male Yellowhammer.

Waxwing.

Over the last few evenings a small group of Waxwings have been at the top end of the res. It has been strange to see these winter visitors fly catching in the tree tops, with hirundines flitting over head. Other recent passage birds have included 2 smart male Yellow Wagtails, and 4 Wheatears . Willow Warblers and Blackcaps are singing and afew House Martins are mixed in with the Sand Martins and Swallows.

Migrants arrive.

Over the last few days there has been a drip feed of migrants. 32 Meadow Pipits were in the fields below the res. on the 26th, and this coincided with the first Swallow. Sand Martin numbers have been swelling, with up to 100 by the 4th April. Two House Martins were seen today. (5th). Blackcap have been singing since the 2nd and 2 males were rung on the 3rd. Dave had a single Common Sandpiper on the 24th March, an early date for this passage migrant. Other wildlife has included Pipistrelle bats during the warm evenings and Orange Tip, Brimstone and Small White butterflies during the warm afternoons.