I started the day
with Derek Coleman conducting a CBS survey on the North Lake. Ten visits are
required and all singing and nesting birds are mapped during each visit. A t
the end of the visits the maps are combined and territories are worked out
resulting in the number breeding birds in this area. During the survey the
first Whitethroat was recorded for the year. Markus from MK Ecology was also
surveying the site which produced the first Reed Warbler of the year on 100
Acre. A late Jack Snipe gave excellent views on the island opposite the Sand Martin bank.
Afterwards I joined
the usual suspects on a lake/skywatch which produced numerous Buzzard, and
three Red Kite. Frank and Dodge decided to go on a walk of the mound leaving
Swifty and I holding the fort. Their departure for the hill saw a Black tailed
Godwit appear from no-where and complete a couple of circuits of the N lake
before eventually settling down to feed off the main island.
The Godwit probably
would not have stayed if the lake had been littered with gulls. In the last
three weeks the gulls who number around three thousand are resting up on the
slopes of the new landfill cell and don’t appear too interested in the lakes.
We are not sure where they are washing up with no obvious water on that side of
the site.
The Godwits
behaviour may be a sign that the Farm will have a few more shorebird that will use
the site to rest and feed up during the migratory period. The islands do need a
good downpour of rain to freshen them up! No rain is forecast though!
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