Saturday and Sunday 17th & 18th March

Chiffy (c) P. Barker

Frogs Porn ! (c) P.Barker

Noke Wheatears (c) P. Barker

Four Wheatears from the hide (c) Andy Last

It is very gratifying when nature does what you have predicted or to be more honest made a lucky guess at. Both Wheatear and Sand Martin appeared this weekend on schedule and as we walked back to the car park on Sunday morning I jokingly said “it’s about time we had a Marsh Harrier” and one duly appeared in the afternoon!
The Wheatears were very bright and fresh there were at least nine on Saturday and at least seven on Sunday mostly on Ashgrave, they were predominantly males with just two females. The Sand Martin was seen on Sunday morning. The fourth addition to the year list was a Collared Dove flying along the bridle way. Chiffchaffs were very much in evidence with one or two of them singing and others feeding along the hedgerows.
The Short-eared Owls are still present. On Sunday morning a low flying Kite flushed four from Greenaways that flew round for half an hour being harassed by corvids. Merlin was seen both days, the bird on Saturday was a male. There is a large number of Meadow Pipits around and this must be what is sustaining the Merlin.
There is still a flock of about fifty Golden Plover on Big Otmoor and there were a Dunlin and a Ruff with them. There are huge mounds of Frog Spawn in some of the ditches lets hope that they stay wet long enough to turn into frogs and toads. An Otter was seen on Saturday morning by the pump house bridge on Greenaways and then crossing the bridle way.
Whitethroat, Sedgie or Willow warbler next Weekend?