... well that's Dotterel for you.
Saturday at TH was a little thin with just 150 Med Gulls on site and more calling overhead. No new bird migrants but Melangyna lapsiopthalma, another early-appearing hover was on Marsh Marigold. The mining bee activity on the roadside verges was much reduced today. Renewed permit for the year.
Sunday saw a brief outing to TSC, after a Morrisons visit, where three Firecrests were singing and a single Holly Blue was on the wing but no Marsh Tits heard. A brief look around the top of Butser was unproductive.
Monday saw a 'window' for a trip out to Cheesefoot Head, the first since visiting with KK for the Rough-legged Buzzard way back when (EDIT - 45 years and 4 months ago!!) in this case for two Dotterel. Despite being reported as 'flushed by Buzzard', they were present fairly close to the main track and being watched by about eight people as I arrived. About eight more visitors included Andy, who I've not seen for a while, and the farm owner/manager who enjoyed views through my scope. Just singles of Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer, plenty of Skylark song and quite a few Meadow Pipits rising up from amongst the Rapeseed, the only colour in a pretty flat and hazy light.
On to Blashford where much sunnier conditions and where yesterday's large flock of Brambling had dispered/departed leaving just a handful of birds around the feeders. Plenty of Orange-tip activity and three Grass Snakes (two at Silt Pond, one Goosander Hide). Just one of yesterday's twelve Little Gull remained and hawked over Ibsley Water flashing its black underwings; black head not fully developed.
The air was full of insects with today, for me, being the first 'Bibio day' of the spring, gazillions of Alder Beetles many flying around plus a fair few Alder Flies (Sialis spp) and the gorse holding many day-flying (and so presumably male) Grey Gorse Piercer micro-moths, Cydia ulicetana. Eristalis inticaria and Helophilus pendulus were new-for-year hovers and Nomada goodeniana plus, probably, lathburiana the latter a parasite on Andrena cineraria.
KK and MK arrived as I left having also 'paid their respects' to the Dotterel earlier and a Bank Vole nipped across the path.
With the back road open again a return across the forest produced four male Stonechats and a brief stop yielded an unseen singing Woodlark and just one Gos, distant and pretty much a silhouette in the poor light.
