April 16th to 19th 2018

This week has seen a great transformation at the Pits with flowers, insects and butterflies emerging. The birds have not really done so well in terms of numbers, but we now have three singing nightingales, at least one cuckoo and two bramblings have been at the Hayden Hide for several days.
On the 18th a male redstart was photographed at the river viewpoint by Roger Millard.

Cock redstart.

On the 17th the tern rafts were spring cleaned and towed into place because several pairs of common terns were sitting on the mooring buoys and looking homeless.  

My butterfly count on the 18th included brimstone, small tortoiseshell, peacock, comma, orange tip and red admiral. (Green veined white appeared at home in Brampton too.)