Friday 11 May 2012

Cool for Chats

Dan here.

A few migrants around today, with a decent count of 23 wheatears, and a tag-along whinchat.

Numbers of off-passage martins and swifts were good but less easy to quantify.

Certainly up to thirty swallows, eighteen swifts and six sand martins were over Freeman's Pools but there was clearly some turnover (a changing mix and three or four house martins making a brief appearance).

At least ten swifts were also hawking over two little ringed plovers on the flood and up and down the cutting.  The pleasant chattering of swallows seemed to be everywhere at times. Thirty of the latter were at Stodday sewage works, aswell as three sand martins.

Although not too conspicuous in the stiff breeze, common whitethroat numbers appeared to be up, seeming to evidence a late but welcome main arrival.

A lone whimbrel was noted on the marsh.

DH.

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