This morning can be summed up by two words... wet... windy... A third one sprang to mind regarding my main task for the day... walk.
All three combined resulted in just Little Ben and two lovely brand new families turning up for the KBC. As it turned out we had a great time on the trail and the five budding naturalists quite literally soaked up the marsh in all its spring wondrousness...
A cracking view up the windblown Perimeter Ditch.... honestly it did not look like this all day! (Graham Burgess)
Sam really wanted to see Lapwings and was not to be disappointed, we even found a couple of potential new nests and the three girls were enamoured of the ‘ice skating’ Spoonbill and fluffy Water Vole while Tom was pleased with the drake Garganey and the Spooner was a new bird for him so big smiles all round. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps showed well between the early showers and a big female Peregrine hurtled overhead and across the Thames.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIGdx0-7vD4&feature=youtu.be
Another cool video of the Spoonbill (Dominic Mitchell)
Waders were a little thin on the ground today although the pair of Little Ringed Plovers and amazingly two different bobbing Jack Snipe were found. Early April is actually a good time for us to pick up Jacks returning north but to have two seen on the deck on one day was something of a surprise. A couple of Common Terns were seen on the River and the two male Yellow Wagtails, Sedge Warblers, two House Martins, Willow Warbler and a Red Kite were also logged by visitors.
Sedge Warbler (Russ Sherriff)
Not too many insects today but at least the sun came out on the afternoon..
Wonder what tomorrow will hold?
11-4-15