There has been plenty of new life at Moor Green during May. The trees and bushes are now in full leaf, making it difficult to spot birds that are in them. WHITETHROAT are busy in and out of the nettle beds, taking food to their chicks, whilst REED WARBLER are very active among the reed beds.
For the first time, SHELDUCK have bred at Moor Green, there were nine recently hatched ducklings on the 15th, but by the 22nd, only two had survived. The pair of OYSTERCATCHER had two chicks, but only one still survives. The first of the BLACK HEADED GULL chicks have started to hatch, so I expect an increase of noise among the gull colony, as more and more chicks are hatched.
Birding trips further afield this month have been scarce, due to jobs in the garden that needed attending to, but on the 27th, I went to my favourite spot, Keyhaven/Pennington, accompanied by my daughter Katey, on her first birding trip, which she thoroughly enjoyed. We arrived early on a mainly sunny day, with the tide on its way out.
Highlight of the day were three juvenile SPOONBILL, resting up at the newly created lake at the infill site, next to the Ancient Highway. Any decent photo of them was out of the question, as they were on the far side of the lake. Among some of the more common birds, Katey also saw two pairs of AVOCET, a female DARTFORD WARBLER, a pair of SHELDUCK with twelve ducklings and a LITTLE TERN, fishing in one of the many small channels, created by the outgoing tide, not bad for a first time birder.
For the first time, SHELDUCK have bred at Moor Green, there were nine recently hatched ducklings on the 15th, but by the 22nd, only two had survived. The pair of OYSTERCATCHER had two chicks, but only one still survives. The first of the BLACK HEADED GULL chicks have started to hatch, so I expect an increase of noise among the gull colony, as more and more chicks are hatched.
Birding trips further afield this month have been scarce, due to jobs in the garden that needed attending to, but on the 27th, I went to my favourite spot, Keyhaven/Pennington, accompanied by my daughter Katey, on her first birding trip, which she thoroughly enjoyed. We arrived early on a mainly sunny day, with the tide on its way out.
Highlight of the day were three juvenile SPOONBILL, resting up at the newly created lake at the infill site, next to the Ancient Highway. Any decent photo of them was out of the question, as they were on the far side of the lake. Among some of the more common birds, Katey also saw two pairs of AVOCET, a female DARTFORD WARBLER, a pair of SHELDUCK with twelve ducklings and a LITTLE TERN, fishing in one of the many small channels, created by the outgoing tide, not bad for a first time birder.
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