Another week has passed by and our lapwings are getting ever closer to officially having the most successful year ever out on the marshes! As of last Wednesday, we have at least 4 young fledged and possibly a further 2 on top of that. How lovely to see youngsters flying around with their parents! There were a further 4 very large chicks, looking like they were ready to go any day now, exercising their wings whilst being overlooked by their keen eyed parents nearby. There are still a few two thirds grown chicks around too and I was surprised to also see a new brood of 1-2 day old chicks in one of the fields, being fiercely guarded by the adult birds.
I also conducted the monthly WeBS count last Wednesday, with the following results....
15 mallard
1 tufted duck
15 lapwing
2 little egret
2 moorhen
June is always the quietest month for WeBS, with spring passage well and truly over, autumn passage yet to begin and wintering arrivals a long way off yet!
Yellow wagtail are still present, skylark and meadow pipit still singing away, reed bunting are abundant along the ditch edges and the beginnings of the predicted painted lady immigration this year have reached Beckingham, with a few individuals seen throughout Wednesday and Thursday last week.