In typical murky April conditions this morning, three adult winter Little Gulls and a Common Tern dropped in just after 8am. I'd already had a text from Mr Broom (Martin) that there was a Common Tern there at 07:15 but by the time I'd got there (at around 7:45) there was no sign of it. So I suspect, as the tern and gulls appeared at the same time, the tern was a new arrival. On my way out of the site a Willow Warbler sang from the edge of the wood (my first this year), and three Blackcaps scratched from various bush areas.
This sort of weather (low cloud/mist, with an easterly wind) in April is quite exciting for an inland birder. These sort of conditions typically mean you should be out early looking for passage terns, gulls, and waders. This is where Broom currently scores well. The site is on a north-south river valley, and the size of the lake means it draws stuff in from a reasonable distance. Most things only come in for a look, fly around a few times and are off again, but sometimes they stick. The dedication of a hardened few in recent years has also meant that Broom gets excellent coverage during the spring period. Things still get missed, but a huge amount has been seen for such a small site. I'll probably leave there for now...
No comments:
Post a Comment