 Newly hatched Lapwing chick Late May highlightsMay did not finish with a bang but nevertheless did hold some interest with a Cuckoo heard calling on 21st along with the arrival of 2 Common Sandpipers. In line with annual movement of 'suspect' geese a very smart (unringed) Bar-headed Goose appeared on the same day along with a bona-fide ringed Oystercatcher. Originating in central Asia and migrating across the Himalayas at extreme altitudes, it seems inconceivable that a wild Bar-headed Goose should ever make it to the UK. This bird may simply be an escapee from a private collection or perhaps, a partially wild bird living as part of a feral population in the UK. Regardless of its origins it was a very smart bird and first record for the site. It follows the similar Snow Goose record of 2024.  The Bar-headed Goose on 21st May 2025 The Oystercatcher sported a bright blue & yellow leg ring with white letters HE on it. I was then able to identify this as a bird ringed by the Devon & Cornwall Wader Ringing Group on 13th Oct 2021 at Dawlish Warren on the Exe Estuary in Devon. My sighting constitutes the only sighting away from that site and the first since Feb 2023.  The colour-ringed Oystercatcher on 21st May 2025 It's interesting to see how far this bird has travelled and with some birds being re-sighted in Europe, who knows where it will go next? The full history of the bird can be found here: https://www.dcwrg.org.uk/recoveries/oystercatcher/bird/GBT-FJ28711  The Oystercatcher's ringing history The last Common Sandpiper was seen on 24th May but the next day 2 more Ringed Plovers appeared and another Oystercatcher on 31st May. Another Ringed Plover was also present on 28th May. On 27th May a new brood of Mandarin Ducks appeared - a mother with 10 new ducklings in tow. Lapwing chicks were first seen on 21st with at least 3 Lapwing broods proved by the end of the month. A Lesser Whitethroat was heard singing on the last day of May and a pair of Egyptian Geese were noted - one of 3 pairs that have frequented the site this Spring. Early June highlightsThe first few weeks of June saw a trickle of waders with more Ringed Plover (2 on 4th & 1 on 10th), 2 more Oystercatchers on 6th and a Dunlin on 2nd. At least 3 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers continue to display around the site but as yet there has been no evidence of breeding.  2 sleepy Oystercatchers on 6th June Disturbance at critical moments may have not helped the Little Ringed Plovers this year with an unwelcome visit from a walker with 4 off-lead dogs and untimely ploughing by the farmer. There is enough space on site so hopefully pairs will breed successfully in due course.  This Little Ringed Plover looked settled on a nest but sadly the field was ploughed shortly after! On cue with previous years, a Corn Bunting was singing on the wires along the track on 11th and then seen singing at the back of the main weedy area on 13th. Hopefully a mate will be found and breeding will get underway again. Both Mandarin Ducks and Lapwing have continued to be successful with a third brood of Mandarin ducklings appearing on 11th June and a fourth brood of 2 further Lapwing chicks the next day. Of course, as June progresses, thoughts of autumn migration begin to creep in! June is a turning point in the migration calendar and first back are the Green Sandpipers. Almost before we began to expect them, 5 Green Sandpipers arrived on 13th - a very typical date for their return. At least one bird was colour-ringed and studies have shown that they can make the journey from Scandinavia in one non-stop flight! A Hobby was also hunting over the pits on 13th and 2 Grey Partridges were flushed near the ruin. One of the partridges looked very small and could have been a juvenile.  Hobby on 13th June A Meadow Pipit was feeding along the new tree planting area which renewed hopes that there might still be a breeding pair on site - although this was the first bird seen since the dog disturbance.  Meadow Pipit on 13th June Elsewhere around the site insect life has exploded with a good variety of odonata including recently Emperor Dragonflies, Four-spotted Chasers and Black-tailed Skimmers. The first Marbled White butterfly was noted on 13th along with another Painted Lady butterly. Black-tailed Skimmer & Painted Lady butterfly on 13th June
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 Stable periods of high pressure, easterly winds and very little rain have made for a slow passage this Spring. Glaringly absent from the roll-call are waders such as Black-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, Curlew and Whimbrel. But Spring is not yet over and there have been some highlights over the last few weeks. Perhaps top of the bill was a female Marsh Harrier that spent a few hours early morning hunting over the middle pool on 26th April. It was constantly harassed by Carrion Crows and Red Kites but nevertheless spent some time on the ground. At one point it sat next to a Brown Hare and they just stared at each other! A short video clip of the hunting Marsh Harrier on 26th April April 21st saw a little bit of movement with the arrival of the first Common Sandpiper of the year and a high count of at least 6 Wheatears on site. The Common Sandpipers increased to 2 birds on 6th & 7th May but just one remains on 11th May. At least 3 Wheatear hung around but the last bird was seen on 6th May. Common Sandpiper & Wheatear In other wader news, Greenshank have been a feature so far this Spring with singles on 21st, 22nd & 28th April followed by 3 birds on 7th May and another single on 11th May. Unringed Green Sandpipers were also seen on 22nd, 27th & 28th April with a very late bird on 10th May. It is likely that these are passage birds rather than from the local overwintering population. Three Common Snipe were seen on 1st May and at least 2 remained on 7th May. Little Ringed Plovers seemed to have settled into pairs with at least 4 pairs on site and starting to sit on nests. Green Sandpiper & Greenshank April 22nd saw a Great Crested Grebe visit the site and the next day a late White Wagtail put in an appearance. Good numbers of Yellow Wagtails remain on site but most seem to have paired up and moved out to the fields, hopefully to breed. A pair of Meadow Pipits have also been displaying and favouring the weedy area so it's hoped they might breed too. A common species in the winter they are a scarce local breeder. The site's resident pair of Grey Partridge were seen on 23rd April and again on 11th May. Clockwise from top left: Great Crested Grebe, White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit & Yellow Wagtail Swifts arrived back on 26th April with at least 8 birds present. Thereafter they have once again become a regular feature of the skies with overcast weather bring a flock of over 100 in the past weeks. Sand Martins have established at least 12 holes in the quarry workings with at least 30 birds regularly on site. Hopefully their nests will be unaffected by quarry works.  Swifts flying in tandem post copulation! While many birds are still getting underway with breeding there have been some early successes with a female Mallard appearing with 7 ducklings (now sadly down to just 2) and a pair of Canada Geese with 6 new goslings. Hopefully they are the first of many fledglings with at least 7 pairs of Lapwing on site and the Mandarin Ducks vanished to the woods to hopefully return with offspring. With the new additions the site bird list stands at 114 species for the year. In non-bird news, Brown Hares continue to be abundant on site but less visible now the crops have grown and courtship is dying down. Painted Lady butterflies have been seen along the track a few times while a Small Copper butterfly was seen on 1st May.  A Small Copper Butterfly on 1st May |
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November 2025
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