Migrants Arriving

 A grand morning, sunny and dry but the chilly Easterly wind persists and keeps the temperature down to just about double figures.

My first two WIllow Warblers of the year popped up today at Wassand Wood, both singing and showing well.

Willow Warbler

We've had one or two Blackcaps at the Mere but today I had eight, all singing and showing pretty clearly.

Blackcap

In the set aside a few Reed Buntings were feeding quietly, keeping themselves to themselves. Only one bird singing though, further aloing the footpath.

Reed Bunting

Yesterday I saw my second Small Tortoiseshell butterfly of the year, basking in the sun on KP close to a patch of flowering Ground Ivy.

Small Tortoiseshell

Ground Ivy

Also from KP were four Pintail, distant but beautiful to see.

Pintail

 Blackthorn blossom is coming into flower in the hedgerows - easily told from hawthorn at this time of year because blackthorn flowers before its leaves come out, whereas hawthorn flowers after its leaves have appeared. Hawthorn's other common name is whitethorn: both shrubs probably get their names from the colour of their bark, although blackthorn is dark rather than black and whitethorn is a bit paler rather than white.

Leafless blackthorn blossom (Prunus spinosa)

Blackthorn is a very strong wood and is the traditional wood that shillelaghs are made from.

Non, Je ne regrette rien

 No Edith, I do not regret seeing two Egrets this morning 😉

 

First, a Little Egret flew south over Southorpe Road. It was past me before I got onto it, so the pics are of a receding bird.

 

Little Egret southbound

Then when I got to the hide a Great White Egret took off from the reed bed to the right of the hide, circled, got moved on by a Greylag Goose and landed back in the same spot for a few seconds before flying off east. This is the third day running I've seen a GWE at the Mere but the first time I managed to get pics.

Great White Egret from Decoy Hide

Landed on the north side, didn't like it

 

Landed at the west end, got moved on by a Greylag Goose

Tried the west "corner", not happy

Came back to the hide reed bed, almost too close!

Close up crop of the above photo

On Tuesday morning I saw a Barn Owl land in a tree, so I carefully approached hoping its senses were turned off. No such luck, of course it knew I was there all the time.

Barn Owl

That's close enough - I'm off

 

The number of ducks at the Mere is dwindling fast as they leave for their summer haunts. There are still a few Goldeneye and Tufties left though.

Tufted Ducks over the Mere

I had two singing Blackcaps this morning over at Wassand, following a single singing bird on 28 March. The first bird could have been an over-wintering bird starting to sing, but I reckon today's were proper migrants just arrived.

 

Four Sand Martins on 25 March are my only other migrants so far, apart from the omnipresent Chiff Chaffs of course.