It's been another good couple of week at Langford, with some nice wildlife sightings and the first of the returning summer migrants.
Sand martins are often the first to come back to Langford and several have been seen feeding over the reserve in the last week. A couple of weeks ago, we prepared the face of the sand martin nesting bank, getting it ready for the returning birds - fingers crossed for them nesting in the bank this year.
Little ringed plovers too are back on site, returning from their southerly wintering grounds and their close relatives, ringed plovers are also back on site. A black tailed godwit was also seen on Phase 3 at the weekend (please view Phase 3 from the perimeter public footpath only) and up to 11 avocet have been seen on the silt ponds viewable from the perimeter path up to the Beach Hut.
Up to 88 whooper swans have been recorded, a huge number for Langford and definitely a site record. A Mediterranean gull and a female red-crested pochard make up the remainder of the good birds for the site in the last week.
The air is starting to fill with birdsong too, lovely to hear on an early spring day....chiffchaffs are now in full voice and a report of a singing blackcap yesterday is the first of the year.