Cuckoo chimes

Weekend opening chimes

Cuckoo

Fallow Deer

Red Kite

Chiloe Wigeon

After a week of crazy birding I put some solid birding in at the pits in over the weekend with pretty good result picking up five patch year ticks. 

The first bird in this category was a Cuckoo calling from the oak by the main pit. The bird sat there for 15 minutes as I did my counting. The rest of the morning was business as usual. I returned late afternoon on the hope the forecast showers would appear, they didn't but I did find my first Reed Warbler of the year in the north east corner of the main pit.

Jon & I were very hopeful of a good morning with some wader movement but yet again there was none at all. This didn't stop us having a good morning though. A Swift over the main pit at 8am was a good start quickly followed up with the return of the Chiloe Wigeon. 

A lengthly scan of the open ground continued our run without any Wheatear, we had recorded a dozen by the same time last year. Near the central lagoon it was brilliant to hear a pair of Water Rails and another Reed Warbler. This was the first record of Water Rail since the restoration of the Reed Bed lagoon. Thankfully they have found a new home. 

The hedgerows held two Lesser & one Common Whitethroat whilst there was two broods of twelve Mallard.  The most beautiful bird of the morning was a singing Yellow Wagtail on the Old Works lagoon.

Other highlights included 2 Sand Martin, 3 Lapwing, 5 Common Buzzard & 2 Red Kite.