4th April visit

I visited the reserve this afternoon with site manager, Michael Copleston, so we could have a catch up and check water levels. Stepping through the entrance gate, the hedge was alive with tree sparrows flitting about and noisily chirping, and a kestrel flew over. Skylarks were singing over the fields, meadow pipits were feeding amongst the sward and a fine male reed bunting perched on a fence. Approaching the viewing area, a buzzard was soaring overhead and there were several birds on the pool - a pair each of shelduck, teal and mallard, a male shoveler, and three pairs of lapwings. Out on the reserve there were more displaying pairs of lapwings tumbling above the grassland, a pair of oystercatchers, two snipe, a green sandpiper and a couple of moorhens plus more mallards and teal. In the ditches we found water vole latrines and clumps of frog spawn. Brown hares were dashing across the fields. An enjoyable visit and hopefully the smog will clear soon and more migrants will start to arrive.