Spring walk

Lade - 0800hrs - warm, dry, sunny, light airs - A proper spring day from the off and with barely a breath of wind it even felt warm at last. Typically, though, in such fine clear weather migrants were hard to come by (a skulking Whitethroat in Mockmill scrub yesterday was new for year). All the usual wildfowl on the lakes, a few more Linnets in the gorse, Green Woodpecker, Cetti`s Warbler and Chiffchaff around the willow swamp.
RSPB - 1030hrs - Led a walk around the reserve for RSPB this morning in glorious spring sunshine, along with masses of black, flying insects! On Burrowes two Med Gulls over calling plus Shelducks and Shovelers amongst the common ducks and Tree Sparrows and Chiffchaff around the car park. Along the return trail plenty of Reed Buntings, Cetti`s Warblers and Linnets, smooth newts in the mini-beast area and peacock butterflies around the gorse blooms. From the ramp a couple of Marsh Harriers, `booming` Bittern, `pinging` Bearded Tits and all the usual feral geese, Lapwings, corvids and the like in the back fields. Hayfield 3 offered up Redshank, LRP, Greenshank (new for the year), Shelduck, Little and Great White Egrets, Grey Heron and Pied Wagtail, while two Sedge Warblers sang in the scrub near the hide. Surprisingly the two Tundra Bean Geese were lurking amongst cover on a bund opposite Christmas Dell hide.
A decent enough walk, although migrant variety was disappointing. Also reported whilst we were on site were Cattle Egret (Brickwall Farm), Garganey (Springfield Bridge), Ruff (Hayfield 3), Green Sandpiper (ARC), Red Kite (over the Oppen pits) and Yellow Wagtail (DBO).