Some Easter birding

29-30 Mar - Still unseasonably cold and frosty, but dry and bright with an easterly wind. Slimbridge on the Friday morning was productive, with at least 3 Little Ringed Plovers (1), my first of the year, on a scrape near the Holden Tower - also here 3 Avocets on the ice in front of the Zeiss hide, and at least 6 Ringed Plovers with the Dunlin flock on the Dumbles. The Bean Goose still present with just 12 Whitefronts, and a lone Bewick's Swan flew over. A large female Peregrine hunted the foreshore. Oxfordshire holds a few unusual species at the moment - on Saturday morning, after a short wait, I had excellent views of the male Ferruginous Duck (3) at Otmoor (2).- also here displaying Curlew and Redshank, a calling Water Rail, and 5 Red Kites (5). 3 Golden Plovers moulting into summer plumage were with the Lapwings. Nearby Farmoor reservoir gave good views of at least 2 adult winter Little Gulls, distinctive with small size, pinkish underparts, dark underwing and lack of black primaries. The female Black Redstart (9) was feeding around the causeway, as were 2 male Wheatears (6) and 2 Rock Pipits (7,8). The 2 pairs of Scaup are still present, and a lone Sand Martin was feeding over the water - photos JM - (4) Robin at Otmoor.