Oooh yikes, we've not had one of these for a while, have we? I've been off on leave and then super busy with the Easter preparations. But hopefully I'll try to do them from now on. Not the all-singing -all-dancing Toby version though. Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts

(You do get to spot the cultural reference though!)

Right, lets see what we have. Well, we will start with today and work back a bit. 

Ugh, yes. Sorry about the colour. 

As you can see, a few firsts for the year in today. And yet, some winter visitors still with us too. Which pretty much sets the tone for the week

Friday there was a short-eared owl hunting over the saltmarsh

The Cetti's warbler has been a bit of a feature recently, singing from 'The Paddock', the wet bit behind the car park. Likewise with the Mediterranean gulls, which have been on both the reedbed and the scrapes. Much careful searching is required to pick them out from all the black-headed gulls though. Over Easter weekend there was at least one little gull hanging about, that was a bit easier to spot though highly mobile. And we had our first swallows and sand martins through.

We've saved the best for last though, with the highlight of Good Friday. 

  (Photo by Neil Smith)

This cracking firecrest was in the bushes on the path down to the river mouth

Right, there you go. Hopefully the next update won't take so long!

Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.