Total UK Species in April 2022: 65
New “Year Ticks” in April 2022: 11
New “Life Ticks” in April 2022: 0
Total Species for 2022 so far: 110
For various reasons we did not get a lot of birding done in April, though we did decide, suddenly, to book a holiday in Norfolk in May which should make up for any shortcomings on our part. We had two visits to Burton Mere Wetlands, the first on our own on the 11th April where we got much better views of the Long-tailed Duck that we had previously and the second with the birding group on 19th April where we got our first Barn Swallow, Reed Warbler and Willow Warblers of the year. We saw further Spring visitors with the birding group on a very warm and sunny morning at Pennington Flashon on 26th April including a pair of Common Tern, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover.
In the garden we had a Sparrowhawk on the 23rd of April, plucking a bird – a pigeon, I think – on the lawn. Unfortunately I accidentally flushed it which was very disappointing. We have had Ring-necked Parakeet a couple of times. The Starlings and House Sparrows are back with a vengeance and seem to have excluded the Grey Wagtails from getting anywhere near the ground feeder. The Sparrows and Starlings between them are voracious and get through any food I put out in seconds. We have had a pair of Robins in the garden and a pair of Blackbirds. Goldfinch numbers are increasing and the Great Tits and Blue Tits are looking very spruce at the moment. Unfortunately, nothing has settled in our nest box. It was looking like we weren’t going to see “our” hedgehog this Spring but on the 29th “he” appeared at last and then the following night another hog showed up; my wildlife camera left no doubt as to the fact they were a twosome!
New Species this month for 2022
- Garganey at Burton Mere Wetlands on 11th April 2022
- Northern Pintail at Burton Mere Wetlands on 11th April 2022
- Barn Swallow at Burton Mere Wetlands on 11th April 2022
- Reed Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands on 11th April 2022
- Willow Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands on 11th April 2022
- Whitethroat at Burton Mere Wetlands on 19th April 2022
- Willlow Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands on 19th April 2022
- Sparrowhawk in our garden on 23rd April 2022
- Common Tern at Pennington Flash on 26th April 2022
- Little Ringed Plover at Pennington Flash on 26th April 2022
- Common Sandpiper at Pennington Flash on 26th April 2022