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Monday 20 April 2015

Spring patching

I'm currently giving Grimsbury Reservoir in Banbury a real good go this spring in the hope of turning up some great passage birds. So far it has been pretty good, however I must admit I'm cursing the current, gorgeous weather a tiny bit as it's hardly ideal for migrants dropping in. I can't really complain though, it is rather nice and does make a nice change from constant rain!

So what have I seen so far? Well it has been pretty stop, start on the migrant front however things have gradually trickled through. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps & Willow Warblers are now here in force and there's also several lively Sedge Warblers singing away along the river.


















Whitethroats are yet to really properly arrive, although I did have one feeding in scrub in the sw corner on 16/04. Yellow Wagtails seem very thin on the ground with just the odd one turning up around the cattle field from 14/04. A couple of White Wagtail have dropped in, one in particular showed very well, also on 14/04.


















Wheatear passage has been poor so far this year however thankfully, 3 dropped in on 16/04 and showed really nicely in the early morning sun.

























Passage waders have consisted of up to 4 Little Ringed Plover & as many as 6 Common Sandpiper. Little else as yet although Gareth Blockley did have a flyover Curlew the other day. Still plenty of time on the wader front, with now until mid-May usually the most productive time.




















Tern passage is only just getting under way and I'm hopeful that some or even one Arctic Tern will pay a visit at some point. I have though had three separate sightings of a single Common Tern. Could be the same individual lingering in the area but could also be 3 different birds..who knows!





















Hirundines have been through in fairly good numbers particularly Swallows & Sand Martins. I also had my first House Martins on 16/04.

















Finally, the lonely Willow Tit is still hanging around, however very much largely keeping his head down. He did though, show really well feeding in the pines of the SW corner of the wood and along by the canal on the 15/04. A Jay flying purposefully north on 17/04 was slightly unusual for this time of year.




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