First Swift of the year!

[rlchew]

I visited my local patch at Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea again this morning.

I was rewarded with my first Swift of the year flying through with up to 5 Swallows. It is good to see Swifts back again .... definitely one of the sights and sounds of summer. This is earlier than I normally see them .... anyone else seen one yet? I have still yet to see a House Martin this year though.

Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat were also all showing well and I heard and saw 2 Cettis Warblers in the reed bed.

Other highlights .... at least 2 Bearded Tits in the reed bed, c.30 Avocets on the scrape and c.30 Black-tailed Godwits in summer plumage and 2 Little Egrets on Vange Creek. Hopefully at least one of my photos of Black-tailed Godwit may be good enough to post to the gallery later today.

Also seen .... Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Brimstone butterfly.

Richard

[Flora]

We saw our first ones yesterday, at Gelli Aur Country Park (Carmarthenshire)

[SteveA]

At least three at Llangorse Lake (Powys) late yesterday afternoon.

[nicole]

I saw my first swift yesterday along with my first house martins of the year and my first chiffchaff. I am pleased to report I also heard my first cuckoo of the year this morning...........spring is definitely in the air

[Wolfhill]

I went down the Tay reed bed near dundee looking for Bearded tits today, managed to see one but it was only a quick fly past. However flying over the huge loch sized pools beside the river were hundreds of Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins and also a few Swifts.

[Oy]

I saw my first Swallows of the year today

[pheonix]

Wat Tyler Country Park - Ive been doing some work there recently, and likely to revisit throught the season. At the moment we're doing Great Crested Newt surveys near by.
I would like to go to the hides but always run out of time, had a quick walk around the park a couple of weeks ago and seemed really good for a variety of birds.

if i go when would be the best time? does it depend on tides? what are the typical things you see? and do you ever get harriers or eared owls, etc??

[haddonite]

Haven't seen any swifts yet. We have House Martins' nests on our house. They returned to the nests on 24th April last year, and on 21st April in 2004. So far this year, I haven't seen any

Neil

[rlchew]

Originally Posted by pheonix

Wat Tyler Country Park - Ive been doing some work there recently, and likely to revisit throught the season. At the moment we're doing Great Crested Newt surveys near by.
I would like to go to the hides but always run out of time, had a quick walk around the park a couple of weeks ago and seemed really good for a variety of birds.

if i go when would be the best time? does it depend on tides? what are the typical things you see? and do you ever get harriers or eared owls, etc??

Hi pheonix

The hides offer an excellent outlook over Pitseahall Fleet and the scrape but they are locked and you need to borrow or purchase a key for a one-off fee from the visitor centre (a result of past vandalism ). The visitor centre also has a latest sightings board.

Pitseahall Fleet and the scrape are non-tidal and very good for birds all the year round but Vange Creek is tidal and is at its best at low tide when all that squidgy mud is exposed for waders.

Apart from the waders, ducks, geese, gulls, etc., a wide variety of birds can be seen around Wat Tyler Country Park, particularly in the spring and summer months when all the warblers and hirundines return .... but get there early before the packs of screaming children and barking dogs turn up and send all the wildlife and wildlife watchers in to hiding !

I have seen Marsh Harrier but not Short-eared Owl although I would not be surprised if the latter has been reported in the winter months. Peregrine (winter) and Hobby (summer) are also appearing more regularly now.

I have recorded over 90 different species but the site list must be much longer. There are increasing reports of uncommon and rarer birds, probably due to the increased observer coverage.

Sightings are reported here (including some of my own ) and in recent weeks a webcam has been installed.

I hope this helps.

Richard

[pet]

Oh yes there back here in cranleigh surrey aswell, i love this time of year!!!!!!!!!!!!