I decided to start at Daventry Reservoir/Country Park as it's usually a good site for terns/gulls in spring. Heading there was all the more a must as just as I was leaving, news came of a singing Wood Warbler in the car park. Brilliant!
I arrived to be greeted by a guy saying it was not around, however within 30 seconds I was beckoning him over as the unmistakable tumbling song of a Wood Warbler came from trees close to where I'd parked. The bird created a mini twitch of local birders and showed fairly well, if a bit high in the canopy between the car park and the reservoir. Neck-breaking stuff!
They really are always a cracking bird to see and hear and I spent ages watching and enjoying it, my second county Wood Warbler. The reservoir held little else, other than a decent gathering of Common Terns. On my return to the car park I had another little vigil with the Warbler and in fact, he showed far better in marginly better light.
I decided to give Summer Leys a go next as with limited time, it would almost certainly provide some good birds.
Pioneer Hide produced some nice stuff, with a distant, dabbling drake Garganey in wader bay along with a White Wagtail. A really smashing looking spring Green Sandpiper was feeding in vegetation on the scrape, as well as 3 vocal LRP and a Greenshank was on Round Island.
Wandering round to the lane, a relatively illusive Whimbrel appeared near to the screen hide, while a total of 14 Dunlin were spread between Gull Island and Mary's Lake. Nearby, my first 2015 Garden Warbler was in song and the near-resident 2nd-summer Med Gull went over a couple of times calling.
Before I finished my birding for the day, I popped into Clifford Hill GP for a short while, a site I hadn't visited for quite a few months. Here 1-2 Arctic Terns were cruising about, together with several Common Tern. Also here were a single Common Sand and a summer plumaged Dunlin.
Great morning's birding and 6 new year ticks to boot!
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