April 5th to 7th

Great crested grebe.

April 5th  Butterflies: peacock x 2, small tortoiseshell, comma x 2, brimstone (7 m and 2 fm)

April 6th. It warmed up considerably this afternoon and started to feel quite springlike. Chiffchaffs and black-caps were singing and a common tern showed up at lunchtime and stayed all afternoon. Bee-flies hovered over the violet flowers, brimstones butterflies explored the ivy leaves and tortoiseshells were mating.

The most exciting observations were the arrival of the first confirmed (by me) nightingale at Ray House, and two swallows flying over the Kingfisher Hide.

Bee fly.

Meanwhile, there was a marsh tit on the feeders at the Visitor Centre and a coal tit at the Hayden Hide.

April 6th:  Mining bees and digger wasps at the Heronry overview, bee flies on the Haul Road,
                  Nightingale singing sporadically at Ray House where there were also
                  two black-caps, chiffchaff, chaffinch, blackbird, blue tit, great tit, wren,
                  dunnock, robin and song thrush in song. Two swallows flew overhead.
                  Common tern hawking for insects over Heronry South.  Toads and frogs
                  (frogspawn) at the Cobham Hide. Violets (white and purple), coltsfoot, primrose,
                  ash and blackthorn in flower. (JAS)

Frogspawn at the Cobham Hide.

April 7th: 14 chiffchaff, 8 blackcap, 2 willow warbler, 1 sand martin, 2 kingfisher,
                 water rail, Cetti's warbler, goldcrest, redwing, jay, 3 goldeneye, 8 wigeon, 
                 75 tufted duck, 2 gadwall, yellowhammer, 4 green woodpecker, 6 song thrush.
                 (Terry Brown)
                 Lots of blue tits, squirrels, 2 goldfinches, 1 robin, sparrows, 3 blackbirds,
                 great tit, 3 pigeons, 1 song thrush, (EH). Robin, coal tit (BC)