With the arrival of May, the trees, shrubs and vegetation in the area, has burst into life. With the sun and rain that we have had, it has grown at an amazing rate. By the months end, the stinging nettles at Moor Green were nearly six feet tall, with the trees densely covered in leaf, making it hard to spot small birds.
On the 5th, I went to Keyhaven/Pennington, Hampshire, where I was pleased to see the Little Terns back in the county. There were a dozen or so, some of which were fishing in the lagoons. Two juvenile Spoonbill were at the Fishtail lagoon, again asleep, I hardly ever see them awake. Over the marsh were up to fifteen Skylark, many of whom were singing and my first sighting of a Cuckoo this year calling from a tree nearby. An hour of sea watching produced five Arctic Skua, moving through on migration.
Moor Green Lakes, Berkshire, on the 8th, produced some very good passage waders. There were five Greenshank, a Ringed Plover and a Wood Sandpiper.
On the 9th, it was off to Fleet Pond, Hampshire, where a Black Tern had been reported the evening before. I managed to see the Tern and a Little Gull, which was a bonus. That afternoon however, a report came in that six Black Tern were at the pond, so off I went again. All six were still there as I arrived, feeding up for their onward journey , together with the adult Little Gull and as a further bonus a first summer Little Gull.
At Moor Green on the 11th, were three Ringed Plover and two Hobby, the Hobby being my first for the year.
Whilst at home in the garden on the 14th, I was just about to trim the Ivy with electric shears, when a female Blackbird flew past, into the Ivy, with a beak full of nest building material. So shears away until she has finished breeding.
It was back to Keyhaven on the 23rd, where a Stilt Sandpiper had been reported the previous three days, unfortunately it had left the area, which disappointed the many birders that were there. I had very good views of my second Cuckoo as it flew across Keyhaven harbour, which made up a bit for missing out on the Sandpiper.
On the 5th, I went to Keyhaven/Pennington, Hampshire, where I was pleased to see the Little Terns back in the county. There were a dozen or so, some of which were fishing in the lagoons. Two juvenile Spoonbill were at the Fishtail lagoon, again asleep, I hardly ever see them awake. Over the marsh were up to fifteen Skylark, many of whom were singing and my first sighting of a Cuckoo this year calling from a tree nearby. An hour of sea watching produced five Arctic Skua, moving through on migration.
Moor Green Lakes, Berkshire, on the 8th, produced some very good passage waders. There were five Greenshank, a Ringed Plover and a Wood Sandpiper.
On the 9th, it was off to Fleet Pond, Hampshire, where a Black Tern had been reported the evening before. I managed to see the Tern and a Little Gull, which was a bonus. That afternoon however, a report came in that six Black Tern were at the pond, so off I went again. All six were still there as I arrived, feeding up for their onward journey , together with the adult Little Gull and as a further bonus a first summer Little Gull.
At Moor Green on the 11th, were three Ringed Plover and two Hobby, the Hobby being my first for the year.
Whilst at home in the garden on the 14th, I was just about to trim the Ivy with electric shears, when a female Blackbird flew past, into the Ivy, with a beak full of nest building material. So shears away until she has finished breeding.
It was back to Keyhaven on the 23rd, where a Stilt Sandpiper had been reported the previous three days, unfortunately it had left the area, which disappointed the many birders that were there. I had very good views of my second Cuckoo as it flew across Keyhaven harbour, which made up a bit for missing out on the Sandpiper.
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