I conducted the monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) yesterday morning in glorious sunshine, but almost gale force winds! WeBS starts to get somewhat quieter from April onwards as the vast majority of our winter wildfowl has moved off site and returned to their more northerly breeding grounds. However, all is not lost as it can be an exciting time with migrants stopping off to feed on site and our own breeding populations starting to prepare for the season ahead. Here are yesterday’s results –
58 tufted duck
21 teal
14 mallard
6 shoveler
6 gadwall
4 shelduck
45 mute swan
14 greylag goose
12 canada goose
31 coot
2 grey heron
1 little egret
2 great crested grebe
1 little grebe
9 lapwing
6 little ringed plover
4 oystercatcher
3 redshank
2 ringed plover
1 green sandpiper
1 black headed gull