A long day in the field started with more mapping of breeding bird territories in Banstead Woods, with the rest of the morning spent at the farm. This was rewarded with two valuable patch year ticks as two
Sand Martins pushed through and a couple of
Greylags flew over. A
Wheatear, a
Meadow Pipit and a couple of
Canada Geese were also noteworthy.
After lunch, I joined Kevin G and Roger B by the main lake at Beddington. It was rather chilly but the threat of rain and the potential avian delights it might bring kept us optimistic. Among a steady trickle of
Swallows were a few
Sand Martins and my first three
House Martins of the year, though these were trumped by two
Swifts. A couple of
Peregrines cruised overhead, as did a
Buzzard. My first
Sedge Warbler of the spring was singng, as were my first local
Lesser Whitethroat and
Reed Warblers of the year. Three
Little Ringed Plovers and a
Common Sandpiper busied around the islands and among the surprisingly strong number of gulls present were 2cy individuals of both
Glaucous and
Caspian Gull.
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| 2cy Glaucous Gull (right) at Beddington, quite a small bird |
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| 2cy Caspian Gull at Beddington |
