On much the same date as last year there was an exciting appearance on the lake of a distinctive male garganey (30th.), this is a migratory duck that comes to us for the summer from Africa. A pair of common tern has also arrived, probably the same successful breeders from last year, although a third tern has often been present. 6 arctic tern were also noted flying over the reserve (30th.).
The sound of singing warblers has increased greatly with whitethroat (20th.), reed (19th.), sedge (22nd.) and garden warblers, joining the earlier arrivals of willow warbler, chiffchaff and blackcap. Also a grasshopper warbler (20th.) concealed somewhere in the scrape area near the hide could be heard for a while.
The first swifts were noted on the 30th., joining the good numbers of sand martin, house martin and swallow swooping across the lake.
Waders included curlew, redshank, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, water rail, 3 common sandpiper, 3 little-ringed plover, a group of common snipe that sometimes included a jack snipe, a pair of oystercatcher that was often joined by a third and about 10 pairs of lapwing, one of which has settled on the floating raft.
Nesting birds include little grebe, coot, moorhen, Canada geese and mute swan, which occupies a very large nest on the corner of the island.
Other sightings were a goshawk (6th.), yellow wagtail, grey wagtail, kingfisher, barnacle and greylag geese, willow tit, reed bunting, goldfinch and bullfinch, song thrush and green woodpecker. On the lake about 25 goosander and a goldeneye could still be seen in the early part of the month as well as gadwall, teal, shoveler and wigeon.
At Swan Pool 8 skylark, 2 wheatear and a lesser whitethroat were seen.
See you on the reserves,
Best regards,
Chris Edwards