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| Plateumaris sericea |
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| Osmia bicornis |
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| Nomada |
Thursday at home, the post-dawn chorus featured a surprising Blackcap (usually no nearer than Squirrel Wood) and flyover Med Gulls; the local Curlew-mimicing Starling fooled me again. Later at WWT, a cacophony of bird sound was mostly Gulls, B-h and Meds plus lots of Reed, Sedge, Cettis and a few Blackcaps, Chiffs and a single Willow Warbler.
Since last visit, now many broods of Mallards and Greylag Geese making for a pretty pungent air!! Curiously, four Cackling Geese, two Barnacles and two hybrids. One pair of Oystercatchers still on site although not sitting.
Insect-wise the bee hotel is now well used by Osmia bicornis (below).
By lunchtime the Easter crowds were a bit much so off to PB for lunch and a brief catch up with George and Luke. Sadly, a nice male Redstart had gone to ground but one of three Nightingales sang and showed well, a Greenshank was distant and a skulking male Garganey eventually flew out into the open whilst chatting to Graham and Doug.
Friday saw an early visit to PHP but was cut short as it was utterly birdless and still too cold and shaded for insects - highlight was three male Blackcaps serenading a female all within a few feet of each other on some twigs just in front of the car.
On to Farlington for the first spring visit. Probably ten or so Whimbrel were nice with a couple from the carpark, two on the lake and some further off. I'm guessing plenty more scattered around the harbour. The lake held a handful of Avocets, eight Greenshanks and two hundred Dunlins but sadly no sign of Jack Snipe (but reported early evening!!).
Five Harbour Seals were just getting washed off by the rising tide and later a Red Fox was in Point Field. Highlight, although not unexpected, was a fine male Wheatear near Willow Pond and a couple of Peregrines over North Binness.
Insects were thin but Nomada spp seemed to like Dandelions and a very fresh Small Tortoiseshell was my first this Spring.
