Monday, 13 May 2024

Bits and pieces from last week

Minwear. A lunchtime visit failed to turn up any Wood Warbler on a circuit through Minwear woods, one or two Tree pipit in the clearing where they regularly appear and a first Garden warbler.

Brynberian Moor: Just the one pair of Whinchat was a slightly disappointing return, hopefully a few more on the next visit. First 2 Cuckoo of the year always good to hear. 3 Red kite. Redstarts in the wooded edges. Lesser redpoll, reed buntings and ravens. No Spotted flycatcher here and Whitethroat seem few and far between.

Marloes Mere: The duck soap opera has been intriguing. One of the male Teal appeared to be aggitated by the Garganey's presence, noisily letting it's feelings be known as it escorted it away. 4 or 5 Gadwall appeared (typically there's been a pair or a single bird). The resident drake Shelduck was chasing off a pair of interlopers. A new drake Wigeon popped up, so seems to have gone from a pair, to 2 female and a drake, to 2 pairs. Shoveler pair were mating with some males apparently guarding nest sites. Coots totalling around a dozen adults with 1 still on a nest, one with 2 young and one with 5 young. Good mix of waders with singles of Greenshank, Common sandpiper, Black-tailed godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Dunlin (up to 6), Ringed plover (4) and fly over Little ringed plover. First white wagtail at the weekend with 6 Pieds and 2 Yellow wagtails alighted briefly in the willows before flying off. A fly over Lesser redpoll. A Lesser whitethroat still around the mere.