A cold start but as the day warmed up, the BHG's took to the air hawking the emergent gnats. The Avocet flock came on to the Moors having again been disturbed by the sewage workers, but they soon returned. By the afternoon they were settled and going through their rituals. Around the moors plenty of water rail were calling and squealing in territorial disputes. The cettis , song thrush and several reed buntings were singing. A couple of waders moved through at the Flashes namely dunlin and ringed plover but dissapointingly no LRP yet. The adjacent farm (hobden hall) fields resounded to the sound of skylarks. It was good to see and hear a couple of male lapwings 'bubbling ' over their patch, these being joined by a flock that were presumably migrants. At present the North Moors is holding a pair of gadwall and a handful of teal are regularly present.
Species Counts:
Moors - GCG 6, Little grebe 5 min, Little egret 2, shelduck 7, shoveler 48, teal 12, gadwall 5 (2 prs + male), Tufted 40, coot 75, water rail 5 from causeway to east hide. lapwing 32, snipe 2, Oystercatcher 3, avocet 26 (from Flashes), green woodp, stock dove 3, collared dove, song thrush 2, cettis w 2, reed bunting 4 singing + 10 Feeding station.
North Moors - Little grebe, Gadwall pr, Teal 10, mallard 2, tufted pr, coot 2
SAILING POOL - GCG 2, little grebe, tufted 8, mallard 12, coot 8, oystercatcher 2 on pontoon. chiffchaff 2,
FLASHES - Teal 21, shoveler 18 (might be from Moors), shelduck 8 at one time (poss 9 on reserve), tufted 2, greylag 5, coot 19, little egret, Avocet 26, curlew 18, lapwing 42 (some cross over between moors), snipe 1, oystercatcher 2, dunlin, ringed plover, BHG 1600 roosted, buzzard 2, fieldfare 15, redwing 3, song thrush 2 singing, cettis w, chiffchaff 2, starling 80, goldcrest.