The first day on the new birding group “term” saw us go to Neumann’s Flash on a day that threatened rain but we managed to “duck” it nicely. Although there weren’t impressive numbers of birds, we got some nice spring arrivals including my first Sand AMrtin of the year.
The water levels were really high – a common feature of many of the places we have been to this last six months. This has meant that any waders are unlikely. We did best with the woodland birds getting at least one Blackcap and several WIllow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. We also got a couple of Great Spotted Woodpecker, one of whome – a female – was busy cleaning out a newly excavated nest hole. We watched for a long time and it kept popping its head in and out of the hole shoveling wood shavings but it never came all the way out, We concluded that is must, however, be a Great Spotted Woodpecker. We also got Peregrine at the industrial plant as usual and a couple of Buzzards and a Kestrel.
Other than that, it was just nice to get out after a prolonged period of bad weather. Spring has come extremely late this year.
Birding Group Neumann’s Flash Sightings
| Canada Goose | 20 |
| Mute Swan | 10 |
| Common Shelduck | 6 |
| Gadwall | 8 |
| Mallard | 6 |
| Northern Shoveler | 10 |
| Common Teal | 2 |
| Tufted Duck | 40 |
| Common Pheasant | 1 |
| Little Grebe | 1 |
| Great Crested Grebe | 4 |
| Common Buzzard | 2 |
| Common Coot | 20 |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | 1 |
| Northern Lapwing | 1 |
| Black-headed Gull | 40 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 2 |
| Common Wood Pigeon | 4 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 2 |
| Common Kestrel | 1 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 |
| Eurasian Jay | 1 |
| Eurasian Magpie | 6 |
| Carrion Crow | 10 |
| Sand Martin | 1 |
| Great Tit | 8 |
| Eurasian Blue Tit | 8 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 6 |
| Eurasian Wren | 2 |
| Willow Warbler | 6 |
| Common Chiffchaff | 8 |
| Blackcap | 1 |
| European Robin | 3 |
| Eurasian Blackbird | 4 |
| Song Thrush | 1 |
| Reed Bunting | 2 |
| European Goldfinch | 1 |