Excellent day at CWP !

30 Mar - An excellent spring day in the Cotswold Water Park. Firstly, Kim Milsom found a drake Garganey (11) at pit 74, which I saw briefly from the gate before it disappeared back into the reeds on the scrape. Also here - 10 Sand Martins and my first 2 Swallows of the year, together with the usual singing Cetti's Warbler. 12 Shoveler, 10 Teal, 12 Wigeon(10), a Redshank, a Snipe and a Little Egret were also on the scrape.
At Shorncote (1), 3 Little Ringed Plovers were displaying constantly (3,4) - joined by 2 superb Black-tailed Godwits which flew in (7,8), then by a Ruff (9). 4 Shelduck (2) and 4 Red-crested Pochards were on the pools. 12+ Sand Martins were overhead. Lapwings were also displaying over the pits and fields (5,6).
A very good range of species for early spring, in continuing superb weather.

Spring arriving

29 Mar - Spring in the air, buds bursting and lots of birdsong. 2 singing Blackcaps, a Cetti's Warbler and at least 12 Chiffchaffs all singing, together with 4 Reed Buntings. 3 Sand Martins were hawking for insects. Also seen - 4 Redwings, and 3 Jays, a female Sparrowhawk, and a Green Woodpecker heard. A Little Egret flew over the A419 near Cricklade.

LRPs back.....

25 Mar - An evening visit to Shorncote, the first 2 Little Ringed Plovers of the year seen on the quarry (photo JM). Also seen - Raven, Little Egret, 2 Shelduck, 10 Shoveler, 10 Wigeon and 2 Teal. Green Sandpiper, Cetti's Warbler and Water Rail heard. The weather unseasonably warm and sunny at 21 deg!

Great Grey Shrike at South Leigh

24 Mar - A quick look at the Great Grey Shrike at South Leigh near Oxford in the afternoon, on the way back from a course in Oxford, in amazing sunny March weather (21 deg). It was perched up obligingly in the sun, rather distant but the photo is a heavily cropped record shot (JM). Also a singing Chiffchaff. 3 Red Kites seen, 1 over Cumnor and 2 near Witney - on contrast only 1 Buzzard noted.

Pit 74

22 Mar - A quick look at pit 74 in CWP on the morning of 22nd - 3 Little Egrets on the scrape, 18 Shoveler, the usual Cetti's Warbler singing by the gate, Reed Buntings and a Green Woodpecker calling. A Chiffchaff singing along the Spine Road.

Red Kite again

18 March - A local Red Kite again, this time I had the camera ready....a quick stop at CWP pit 74 produced a singing Cetti's Warbler by the new screen, a Curlew calling, 2 Little Egrets, and a flock of 27 Shoveler, but no rare Gulls (Glaucous and Mediterranean seen recently).

CWP update

10/11 Mar - Sunny early spring weather, with Lapwings displaying (2) at Shorncote, Shelduck moving through with birds at Kent End at Shorncote, and Wigeon (3), Shoveler and Teal in evidence. Little Egrets (6) at Shorncote and pit 74, where the new screen at twitcher's gate (1) allows close views across the lake, close birds here included a Great crested Grebe (4) and photogenic Coots (5). Cetti's Warblers singing at 3 sites. 5 Snipe in flight at Shorncote. I couldn't find a Mediterranean Gull in the roost on pit 74 or pit 16, though one was seen on Fri 9th.

Red Kite and Waterhay

8 Mar - A Red Kite over the north end of Purton - my 3rd record for the Water Park area - en route to Waterhay for a short walk. A lovely sunny day with the feel of spring, 2 Cetti's Warblers singing, 5+ Reed Buntings (pic 3, JM), Green Woodpecker and Water Rail calling. A Grey Wagtail flew over.

Peregrine.... and Cetti's Warblers

4 Mar - A Peregrine flew west over the Malmesbury bypass this evening. In the CWP at Waterhay, a very cold NW wind, but 2 Cettis's Warblers heard at dusk on a brief walk, and a Grey Wagtail flew over. Photos JM.

Red Kites.....

2/3 Mar - A total of 11 Red Kites seen while driving to Reading on the Friday, then to the BTO conference at Benson on the Saturday. Always very elegant to watch.