First stop this morning was the G&M Growers pits at Broom. The two sum plum Dunlin were still pottering around on them, along with two Ringed Plovers. The LRP from last night had disappeared. These pits have finally started to look good for the spring, with a nice muddy fringe forming, but is it too late?
While at work, and having all the windows open as our office had just been repainted, I heard a pleasing song - a Tree Pipit! It only sang once, and I guess was just flying over perhaps, but it was a totally unexpected new addition to the window list. It will probably be the only Tree Pipit at the Lodge this year. Long gone are the days where I once counted 12 singing males between the Lodge and Potton - that was in the early nineties.
A late decision to look at Derek Whites Eggs pit at lunchtime was a good one. About the first bird I looked at was a lovely Whimbrel sat on the island. This pit was also looking nice, with plenty of birds and some good habitat. One of the four pairs of Lapwings had two small chicks, there were three broods of Greylags, two pairs of Redshank, an Oyc, a LRP, five (or so) pairs of Common Terns, and a singing Meadow Pipit. I'll be popping in here again.
After work I headed for the brick pits. Coronation wasn't very exciting (but I got a nice Willow Warbler shot), Rookery held a single Hobby, female Red-crested Pochard, several Pochard, two pairs of Redshanks, and several Black-heade Gulls still stilling on nests.
The Cetti's was still belting out its song at MVCP, but the Millbrook station end of the site was pretty quiet otherwise. Quest was a bit more interesting, with two pairs of nesting Lesser Black-backs, another Pochard, a Ringed Plover, several Redshanks, a Yellow Wag, four Herring Gulls, and 17 loafing LBB's.
I ended the evening at Broom, for the tern roost. The best count I made was 105, with perhaps a few more missed. An excellent number for May.
Derek White Eggs pit
