CWP Grasshopper Warbler.....

29 Apr - I'd read online that a Grasshopper Warbler was being heard at pit 43 in CWP, so I checked it out at dusk this evening, being calm and clear, and had amazing views of the bird "reeling" in the open - surprisingly, a new bird for my CWP list...too dark for the camera unfortunately. A Cuckoo was also singing on and off by the lake, one of the Nightingales sang briefly and other Warblers present included the usual Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and Blackcap.

Farmoor.....

28 Apr - A quick look at Farmoor produced over 100 Swifts (4) feeding in cloudy, windy conditions - also an Oystercatcher (3) and 2 Dunlin (1-2) and at least 3 Yellow Wagtails (5).

Dotterel......

27 Apr - A convenient Dotterel at Bury Down, just off the M4 at Newbury, meant a lunchtime detour after work, and excellent views of the bird by the Ridgeway - brightly plumaged, so presumably a female (2-3). Also there, a Wheatear and a Whinchat (4). 7 Red Kites seen along the A34 between the M4 and West Ilsley. Photos JM. 2 Dunlin and 2 Ringed Plovers (with LRPs) at pit 74 in the Water Park the last couple of days, also a couple of Arctic Terns have been present.

Rock Thrush !

26 Apr - Amazingly, a more-or-less free day coincided with the female Rock Thrush staying at Spurn overnight.......and after a longish drive I added this most-wanted species to my British list, my first tick since Oct 2011. A striking long-billed thrush, with rufous tail, scaly underparts and russet/grey upper parts. A wary bird, and quite a sizeable crowd of birders admiring it. An hour spent watching the bird, and home by 3pm. Also present - Whimbrel and Yellow Wagtail, and several Wheatears with the Rock Thrush. Photos JM.

Hobby and Whimbrel......

25 Apr - An excellent hour in CWP this morning, the highlight being my first 2 Hobbies of the year at pit 57, which materialised high over the lake just as I was giving up hopes of finding them. Very charismatic birds, displaying together in their new summer quarters. Also this morning - 6 Whimbrel in their traditional field by pit 83, but flushed by dogs after a few minutes - a Bar-tailed Godwit was with them - Nightingales singing at pits 74 and 43 - and Arctic Terns at pit 74 with a Common Tern at 57. Warblers have arrived in force, with Lesser Whitethroats and Garden Warblers now present. 3 LRPs at pit 200. Photos Hobby (1-2) and Sedge Warbler (3), JM.

Swifts are back!

24 Apr - At least 7 Swifts this evening over pit 74 with a few hirundines, always a thrill to see them return for their 3 months with us every year. Also 2 Terns reported by others as Common, but in dull light I thought they looked more like Arctic but couldn't be sure....

2 Ws at Chew

23 Apr - My mum's birthday today, and she would have loved to have come with me this evening to see 2 rarities after work, on a lovely spring evening at Chew - first, amazing close views of the Woodchat Shrike at North Widcombe, feeding on insects in the evening sun - photos JM - then, an adult Whiskered Tern, with distinctive blackish underparts and broader wing profile, with 15 Arctic Terns from Woodford Lodge on the main lake. Two for the price of one.

Pit 74

22 Apr - 2 Arctic Terns on pit 74 this evening, with a few waders - 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 LRPs, 4 Dunlin, and 2 Redshanks. 3 Little Egrets seen in flight.

Nightingales at CWP......

21 Apr - A lovely early morning again, and a wonderful chorus at pit 43 between 7-8 am led by 3 Nightingales, one of which perched in the open several times (1). 8 species of Warbler heard, including my first Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat of the year. Good views in particular of Sedge Warblers (4) together with Blackcap (3) and Chiffchaff (2). Also present - Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Bullfinch and Linnet. A Reed Warbler singing with several Sedge Warblers at pit 68. Photos JM. In the afternoon, 10 Arctic Terns and 5 Yellow Wagtails on a quick check at Farmoor.

Otmoor - Warblers and a Cuckoo.....

20 Apr - A superb calm, sunny spring morning at Otmoor when I stopped off en route home from Luton airport. 3 Grasshopper Warblers were reeling loudly in the car park field, but remained invisible - several Whitethroats also active there. Along the bridle way, Sedge and Reed Warblers were singing, along with Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. A Cuckoo sang briefly and later flew over Greenaways, where 2 Snipe were drumming. A Curlew was displaying,and 2 Redshank also seen in flight. Good numbers of Lapwings are on territory. 3 Red Kites patrolled as the sun warmed up, and 5 Little Egrets seen.

Llobregat and Garraf, Catalonia.......

19 Apr - A full day's birding with Carles from Barcelona birding point. The weather was better than forecast, sunny in the morning, and a cloudy afternoon with only a few spots of rain. A very successful day bird-wise, with 112 species seen....we started at the River Llobregat, where birds on the tide included Greater Flamingoes, Audouin's and a Med Gull, Avocet and a Spoonbill, and flyover Night and Purple Herons. We then moved on, via an obliging pair of nest-building Penduline Tits, to the Garraf mountain range (4)above Barcelona, excellent for a different range of species - Dartford Warblers were numerous, Black-eared Wheatear and Cirl Bunting were also seen (alas no Rock Thrush despite searching). Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes were singing, and highlights were a Bonellis's Eagle returning to its nesting site, and a pair of displaying Short-toed Eagles, newly arrived from Africa. Bonelli's Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts were seen on passage here. As the day warmed up, we moved on via a breeding site for Red-rumped Swallows (5-6) and Rock Bunting (on the coast road) to the Llobregat reserve (1-3), being greeted down the approach road by several superb Bee-Eaters (7-8) on migration. Despite being adjacent to Barcelona airport, the reedbeds and lagoons here held an amazing variety of birds, including Purple (15) and Squacco Herons, and a Little Bittern was glimpsed in flight - also a small colony of Black-winged Stilts (12-14) and Collared Pratincoles (9-11), migrating waders including both Little and Temminck's Stints, and 2 Curlew Sandpipers in summer plumage - and singing Great Reed and Reed Warblers, plus numerous Cetti's Warblers. A flock a Swifts moving in front of a thundercloud held 4-5 Hobby-like Alpine Swifts, en route to a final stop at a seawatch and coastal birding tower that gave us Balearic Shearwaters, close Audouin's Gulls (16-17) and Med Gulls, and more migrant waders including Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit. The days total was an outstanding 112 species.

A few Waders......

18 Apr - Pit 200 at CWP this morning held the usual pair of LRPs, 2 Redshanks and an Oystercatcher. A few House Martins were feeding over the lake. No Yellow Wagtails seen - 6 reported yesterday. Evening update - things are looking up, Barcelona this evening for a 36h visit and a full day's guided birding tomorrow, camera poised......

Port Meadow

17 Apr - A brief visit this evening as I had to go to Oxford - the Bar-tailed Godwit (1) still present along with a flock of 22 Black-tailed Godwits (3), some in summer plumage....also 2 Avocets (2), 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Redshank and 4 Dunlin. Very windy, and 3 species of hirundines feeding low over the field. Photos, copyright Oxonbirds blog.

Warblers arriving......

16 Apr - A Reed Warbler and 2 Sedge Warblers at pit 68 Reedbed this evening, also a Cetti's and 2 Willow Warblers, and a Water Rail calling. Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs also singing at pit 74 Twitcher's Gate. A lovely sunset followed.

CWP drive by.....

15 Apr - Home via the CWP for sanity reasons after a typically rubbish Monday - a Green Sandpiper at Round House Quarry, then at pit 74 - 2 Oystercatchers, a Redshank calling, a pair of Pintail, 12 Shoveler, a drake Goldeneye, a Little Egret, a Chiffchaff singing and 3 Swallows - 2 LRPs at pit 200 - and at 68 reedbed, a singing Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Cetti's Warbler, and a Water Rail calling,

Oxon birding......

13 Apr - A morning visit to Blenheim Palace gardens (1), cloudy but milder and little wind - after some searching, I had reasonable views of 6 Hawfinches, with their distinctive Parrot-like profile, in the treetops in the Secret Garden area. Also seen - several Nuthatches, several newly arrived Swallows, and singing Chiffchaffs. 5 Yellow Wagtails (3-6) were on the grassy banks at Farmoor, and Swallows and Sand Martins were feeding in blustery conditions. A Common Tern was in the flock of Gulls over F2 but I could not find any Little Gulls. Swallows and Willow Warblers seem much in evidence since the milder winds arrived. I took the Hawfinch photo (2) last year in the Forest of Dean.