Every spring at the Weymouth Wetlands we keep a list of all the dates that migrants arrive back. It started this year with Sand Martin quickly followed by Swallow and a very early Common Tern. Up until last Friday we had all the usually species on the list except one, Garganey. These beautiful ducks are the only British duck that migrates here for the summer and spends the winter in Africa. Our other ducks come to Weymouth for the winter and disappear during the spring.
Radipole Lake and Lodmoor have always been a hotspot for Garganey but they certainly kept us waiting this spring. Even the Swifts were back before them. Sadly the pair that arrived last week hasn’t been seen since but they are incredibly good at hiding and could well be hidden away in one of the many new ditches and ponds we created as part of our restoration project.
Luckily our volunteer Allan managed to get a picture before they disappeared.