Warbler fest

Plenty of summer migrants now, with the most impressive being the dozens of swifts with hundreds of swallows and house martins feeding low over the lagoons the last couple of days.  A grasshopper warbler was seen and a Cetti's warbler was heard on the Ganol trail yesterday (29th), the latter still a considerable rarity on the North Wales mainland.  Several whitethroats and a couple of lesser whitethroats are singing around the reserve, and sedge and reed warblers have become much more vocal and abundant this week.  Wheatears continue to wander north - some days just one, and yesterday six.  A garden warbler was reported in the car park on Tuesday (27th), but these are never common here.

Wader migration has perked up a bit, but is still slow.  Up to 20 whimbrels on the estuary have been a great sight, with a couple of little ringed plovers earlier in the week (one today), a bar-tailed godwit (29th) and up to six common sandpipers - including a pair displaying; will they breed as they did last year?  As well as the bearded tits on Monday (no sign of those since Tuesday morning I'm afraid), there were four dunlins, 60 shelducks and six Sandwich terns on the estuary.

A female goosander was reported here on Wednesday (28th) and the escaped black swan is still sailing around the lagoons, but wagtail migration seems to have tailed off, with few white wags and just a single yellow wagtail this week.

The cowslips are still looking stunning on the bank near the coffee shop, the fresh reed growth is emerging rapidly from the tired brown reedbed and small numbers of butterflies - mostly peacocks and red admirals - have been seen daily.

April's been exciting, with two firsts for the reserve (black duck and bearded tit) - what will May bring?