Sandpiper trio
Rushy Pen
A sure sign that it's May with the arrival of our first three Wood Sandpiper on the lower pond late morning. Other good news is that the Lapwing family still have young and the first Avocet chicks (x2) have hatched here. Four Cattle Egret chose the lower pond island to take a break from feeding among the local cattle today.
Wood Sandpiper trio
Cattle Egret quartet
South Lake
Avocets have also (as well as the Rushy Pen) hatched young on the wader scrape (last Saturday) they still have young today, broods of x1 and x2 seen today with 32+ adult birds on the scrape. At least 2 Redshank and 5 Ruff were present including an orange and black male, blackish male and black and white striped male all in breeding plumage. 100 Black-tailed Godwit and a breeding plumaged Turnstone added a splash more colour. A few pairs of Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall were about and pair of Little and Great Crested Grebe.
Swallows and a few Sand Martin fed over the lake when it was chilly this morning.
Holden Tower
11 Grey Plover, 1 Red Knot and two Bar-tailed Godwit fed on the mudflats on the falling tide, a Peregrine was out hunting. The female Marsh Harrier was seen passing by.
Kingfisher UPDATE
The pair at the Kingfisher hide are now feeding young and visit regularly with food, its a great time to catch up with them. Both adults visit to feed the chicks. The other pair near South Lake have been feeding young for over a week.
South Finger filtration beds and settling pool
2 Common Sandpiper on the pool this morning.
Zeiss Hide
4 Teal and 5 Lapwing on the flood.
Grounds
Reed bunting and Sedge Warbler singing, Cuckoo yesterday singing from the canoe trail area. 16 House Martins were feeding over the centre.
Visible migration
Some Swallow (40) and Sand Martins (20) with a few Swifts noted heading N today.
