Probably the best day of the year so far with wall to wall blue skies and little or no breeze which was enough to bring out my first insects of the year; a male Brimstone blundered between the trees, a dopey looking Honeybee landed on the kerb and at least two female Hairy-footed Flowerbees, one on Gorse and another trying to sunbathe on Ivy.
A Cetti's was very strident in the dry scrubby area adjacent to the last house. The refuge field was pretty much empty.
Sat quietly on a park bench with the sun on my face the alarm calling Herring Gulls indicated a Buzzard, my first raptor of the year(!), which drifted westwards before deciding to power off to the north. At the same time an invisible Grey Wagtail slipped behind me. A Heron was perched on the fence posts and another cruised in from the east and sat up in the tallest tree on the island. The last of the 'Baffins Gang' Barnacle Geese returned today with is dodgy white domestic goose chum having spent most of the winter (I assume) at Farlington.
Finally, two Great Black-backed Gulls circled time and time again before slowly losing height and landing; in contrast an inbound Cormorant 100-150 ft up whiffled in and dropped like a stone landing within a few seconds of its approach.
Saturday update
Again very blue but with more high, fluffy clouds and a cooler breeze.
A calling Great Spotted Woodpecker was very vocal between the refuge and the houses in one of the taller trees. More Honeybees active on the lone Gorse bush.
32/22,000
