New York NY

Piping Plover, what a bird!

post to follow when i get back

Larus minutus

South-easterly wind? Early April? The signs were looking good for a Little Gull today. Sure enough a text from northern rustic at 0900 revealed there was one at Stoke Newington Res already. As soon as I was free, about 1200, I headed off to my nearest large body of water, Lockwood. Sadly no joy here, but I did bump into Lol Bodini, so we headed off and gave the whole site a quick once-over.
Highlights included a nice female Wheatear on Lockwood and Common Sandpiper there. Cetti's Warbler and Sand Martin were noted on the Southern group.

Not quite satisfied yet I decided it was time for the big guns, so I headed off to KGV.
It looked good and I pretty much ran up the embankment! Sure enough a quick scan revealed a couple of Little Gulls out in the middle. Excellent! Then a few more... and another party. I ended up with a maximum of 22 birds! Most of them were adults in varying staes of 'hoodedness' plus 2 first summers and 1 second summer. In amongst them were 2 Common Terns, my first of the year.

Little Gull 22
Common Tern 2
Goldeneye 3
Teal 8
Sand Martin 4



Apologies for the crap photos!

LOCAL PATCH 5th APRIL

Middx Filter Beds 0830

Chiffchaff 2
Blackcap
Stock Dove
Jay (on nest)
Redwing 12

Waterworks NR 0850

Cetti's Warbler
Sand Martin 4 (prospecting nest holes)
Snipe 7
Reed Bunting (singing male)
Teal 9
Pochard 6
Shoveler 1
Willow Warbler 2

Walthamstow Marshes 1000-1330

Reed Bunting
Linnet
Green Sandpiper 2 (relief channel)
Willow Warbler
Skylark (briefly singing)
Common Buzzard 2 (both WNW, 1255 and 1330)

Finally broke my local large raptor duck with 2 Buzzards in an hour and a half sky-watching on Walthamstow Marsh! Duck and Snipe numbers dwindling fast on Waterworks. Lots of Willow Warblers about today.

Waterworks NR

0845-1000 C:8/8, NE 2

1 WILLOW WARBLER
1 SAND MARTIN
1 SWALLOW
28 TEAL
10+ SNIPE
CETTI'S WARBLER
3 CHIFFCHAFF

A cold start to the day today. Fully overcast with a chill NE breeze. First Willow Warbler of the year was singing away though! Single Swallow and Sand Martin together overhead. Teal numbers holding their own, but Snipe seem to be dwindling slowly.