Well its been a week of a few firsts on’t Patch with my first Sand Martins yesterday, Orange-tip at work, and Swallow near home. Friday saw me at Ingbirchworth Reservoir first thing 7:30am to hear my first Willow Warbler of the year. A few Pied Wagtails were knocking about with Tufted Ducks, Mallards and Canada Geese on the water but not the hoped for Swallows, and Martins, so I decided to move off into the grasslands around Whitley Common. I pulled up in a favoured spot to find Wheatears and Meadow Pipits galore, I stopped counting the Pipits but there were over 20 Wheatears knocking about, and then a Commmon Snipe drumming over head, Skylarks and Linnets started singing things were beginning to wake up then I found about a dozen Golden Plovers. Moved on then to Lower maythorn to find more Wheatears well over 20 birds again along with more Meadow Pipits, Cheesagate Nab was my next port of call hoping to find Ring Ouzel on passage but I only found more Linnets and Willow Warblers. Broadstones reservoir was my last port of call and there I found very little that I already hadn’t seen during the morning.
Today Species List in no particular order:-
Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Pied Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Willow Warbler, Common Snipe, Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Yellowhammer, Stock Dove, Jackdaw, Linnet, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Reed Bunting, Swallow, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Sparrowhawk
Jackdaw
Goldfinch
Huddsbirder 