The duck gets no closer or easier to photograph so a couple more record shots; Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs are two species certainly on the up locally with a total of 74 singing Chiffchaffs counted on my local pits walks on March 31st and up to 50 Blackcaps occupying breeding territories in recent years - a far cry from the one or two pairs that bred in the 1970's.
First off some record shots of the first Mediterranean Gull of the year; appeared to be adult but clearly the black in those primaries make it a 3cy or 4cy summer
Then today as well as 300 Sand Martins and 5 Swallows a summer plumages Red-necked Grebe popped up only to be complemented by a drake Ring-necked Duck the first locally since 2018 - all birds were distant so some huge crops
The number of Chiffchaffs has increased dramatically this week but apart from the odd Blackcap other migrants seem scarce; a few Whooper Swans still passing through and a rare opportunity to get an upperpart shot of a Common Buzzard plus my first Woodlark of the year actually on the ground in spite of several aerial encounters - Pintail from Alkborough Flats
Orange Underwing moth from the forest
it has taken a long time to bump into a Bittern this year locally but finally saw this one a couple of days ago albeit looking very edgy and clearly not happy in the open with humans about
Good influx of Lesser Redpolls 20+ joined the 40+ Siskins on waters Edge; Jack Snipe passing through
new content also on grahamcatley.com in latest section and images from Point Pelee area May 2013 https://www.grahamcatley.com/tripsabroad/point-pelee-area-may-2013 and coming soon Marsh Harrier studies
Still a few Common Crossbills in the forest and possibly breeding - this Kestrel was catching what I assumed to be Common Lizards but the only time it came up with prey it was totally hidden in the bunch of molinia that it took with it
the early passage of Stonechats through the local area seems to have slowed this week but there were up to seven a day in the previous week and many different individuals judging from the flock composition and locations that suggests maybe 25-30 birds were recorded
Three White-fronts and a Great White Egret present this week followed the earliest ever Spoonbill in late February at Alkborough; lots of wildfowl including up to 33 Pintail and a Red Kite passed through on the 4th.
Does this Jackdaw have enough of a collar to suggest it may not be a local bird?
