March 22nd to 31st

Buzzard.

Summary:
Spring got off to a start and then stopped. Easter weekend was cold and wet and the river came out in flood. Migrants were held back with just a handful of singing chiffchaffs by the end of the month and sandmartin (not recorded in the book). Although a cuckoo and a nightingale were reported, the dates are too early and neither bird was picked up again. On the plus side, the report of a nuthatch has been verified by further sightings and marsh tit(s) have reappeared at the visitor centre daily. The fallow deer was also an exciting find.

Scarlet elf cup. 

23rd  Fallow deer, seen by several people on the Ouse Valley Way.
         Bank vole in village at St James Road. (VG)
         Scarlet elf cup fungus in Dodder Fen, kingfisher ar river view,
         mating g-s woodpeckers, redwings x 2, siskins x 2, goldeneye drakes x 2
         singing chiff-chaffs x 4 (Mark Ward)

24th  Blue tit x 2 on feeders. (Lesley Bradbury)

25th  Egyptian geese from the Kingfisher Hide. (RC)
         Yellowhammer (Haul Road), kingfisher (river view), red kite (Diddington),
          goldfinches, g-s woodpecker, greenfinches + siskin (OVW) BRD.
          Little gull at Diddington. (APW)
          Goldcrest and nuthatch on river walk.

Goldcrest at Ray House Garden.

26th  G-s woodpecker and reed bunting at the Hayden Hide. (NW)

27th  Red-crested pochard, red-legged partridge, redwing, song thrush at Diddington.
         (DMC)

28th  Nightingale?? Heard by Jacqueline Hill at Post 8. This is a week earlier than our
         earliest record and was not heard again so I'm afraid we have to discount it.
         So what could it have been?

30th  Cuckoo?? Seen flying across Heronry South. Black-cap male at
         Kingfisher Hide. (J Underwood)
         Chiff chaff x 3, g-s woodpecker, cormorant, l-t tit, bumble bee, greenfinch,
         song thrush. (Annette?). Blackcap, cormorant, blackbird. Marsh tit and coal tit
         in wildlife garden. (HGJ, OMG, BCS).

31st  Pumphouse Pit in the quarry. (No Public Access) 
         Rock pipit, jack snipe, common snipe x 12, oystercatcher x 4, redshank x 3,
         green sandpiper, dunlin x 2, lapwing x 3, little egret x 4, little gull x 2
         (adult winter plumage), red crested pochard x 7, chiff-chaff x 4,
         goosander, red kite x 2, woodcock, treecreeper, reed bunting, kingfisher. (MD)

Red crested pochard fm.