It’s been a busy morning of bird surveying for me as I was up bright and early for my first Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) of 2012, followed by the monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS). Like WeBS, the BBS is a national survey coordinated by the BTO and incorporates a minimum of 3 visits to a site to survey bird activity throughout the breeding season. At Langford, we do up to 8 visits covering the whole site over the course of 3 months from mid-March to the end of June.
And there is nothing better than getting out onto site for first light, with the reserve to yourself, looking and listening for spring migrants coming in and resident birds setting up territories for breeding.
Today’s highlights include –
tawny owl calling from the woodland corner with Cottage Lane
the first singing chiffchaff of the year on the western boundary of Phase 1
numerous skylarks singing over Phase 2
cetti’s warbler on the silt lagoons
roe deer on Phase 2
The numbers of wildfowl on site begin to dwindle at this time of year as birds make their way back to breeding grounds further north. However, there is still plenty of interest in the WeBS count, as various wader species arrive back at Langford and there is always the chance of picking up something good on passage. The results of this morning’s WeBS are as follows –
118 tufted duck
29 mallard
51 teal
31 wigeon
16 gadwall
3 shoveler
1 goldeneye
8 mute swan
27 canada goose
4 greylag goose
66 coot
1 moorhen
1 cormorant
18 snipe
14 lapwing
4 redshank
2 oystercatcher
1 green sandpiper
7 grey heron
2 little egret
7 great crested grebe
1 little grebe