New arrivals at pits

Hunting hobby

Fox cub

 Yellowhammer

 Little Owl on my way home

Little Owl

Distant female Ruff

Redshank 

Three consecutive day visits to Salford Priors over the weekend saw no movement with waders. The only waders around the site were the Little Ringed Plovers and the Oystercatchers who are trying to nest in their third location of the spring. 

Sunday mornings visit did result in two fox cubs playing before taking a hiding postition photographed above. Very cute, however I also witnessed an adult Fox removing eggs from a Mute Swans nest. Sadly last weeks pair of Pochard's were not around but I certainly haven't given up hope whilst the pair of Shelduck so seem to be continually harassed by another bird.

The highlight of the morning was a Hobby hunting over south lagoons and a Cuckoo around the central lagoon & bunds. House Martin numbers seem to be much better this year whilst I have counted over 400 Swifts on four different visits.  The water table has remained to high this spring so we have done well to record the species we have.

On Saturday I paid my third visit of the week to Upton Warren mainly to record my first Ruff of the year. Plenty of good chat in the hides as always. Avocet number have increased to a record 43 whilst there was a Shoveler brood of 18 ! 

On the way home on Sunday I called in to see my local Little Owls. After an intial game of hide and seek I managed to take a couple of images.