Local Patch Update,27th March,3rd And 9th April 2022.

A compilation of 3 visits to the local patch at East Halton/Goxhill,the following is what i saw in my little part of the Humber Estuary.

27th March

A very quiet visit today,with no new additions seen to add to the yearlist,with any new migrants very thin on the ground apart from a handfull of Chiffchaffs again.

Numbers of north bound breeding waders are also beginning to drop off,with no Dunlin seen for a few weeks now.A flock of 14 Islandica Black-tailed Godwit were feeding along the tideline towards Killingholme this morning though.

At the Skitter,8 Avocet and a flock of 95 Golden Plover were noted on their favourite field along with a single Grey Plover.

It was nice to see a pair of prospecting Common Buzzards along Goxhill Marsh and the only notable insect sighting was a single Comma(My first of the year) at Dawson City.

3rd April

 A good forecast today,albeit a frosty start at Winter's first thing,saw a lovely hunting Barn Owl in the rough grass field next door,before it flew onto the mitigation area.

Other species seen on WP included the pair of Great-crested Grebes still,3 singing male Cetti's Warbler,2 singing male Chiffchaff and a single Little Egret and on the adjacent fields to the west,a good count of 57 Carrion Crow.

This latter species,always seems to gather in flocks on the patch in early spring,before dispersing to breed.I would love to know where they originate from.

Coverage of the mitigation area,saw 47 Wigeon being still present along with a pair of Avocet,99 Curlew and a single Common Buzzard and 35 Carrion Crow.

The Skitter are provided the first of 2 patch year ticks today,when a lovely pair of Grey Partridge were watched along one of the fields.These are a decidedly scarce species these days and are always a joy to see.

Other species seen around the Skitter included 41 more Carrion Crows,25 Redshank and 4 Small Tortoiseshell.

The Beck,Chapel Farm,Chapel Field Road and East Marsh Road were then covered and didn't reveal any surprises,but a nice male Great-spotted Woodpecker gave some nice views at Chapel Farm and 133+ Rook gave their usual brilliant views at the Rookery along East Marsh Road.

After arriving at Dawson City,a watch from here produced another year tick in the form of a Lesser Redpoll which flew north and at least 9 Common Buzzard were seen which included 8 birds flying west and 1 east.

On return to WP,another 3 Common Buzzard flew west.

9th April

Another cold day on the patch today,with a freezing north westerly,still produced a bit of migration and thankfully a sign of summer in the form of 2 Swallows at Winter's.

It was really great to see these lovely Hirundines as they hawked for insects over the lakes,cheering me up considerably,as i thought it was going to be another migrant-less visit.

Also at Winter's amongst a light passage of Linnets,Pied Wags and Mipits were 2 White Wagtails,which were nice to see.

I decided to walk along Marsh Lane and then along Skitter Road,with highlights including another pair of Grey Partridge,which was nice to see,so at least 2 pairs on the patch,lets hope they can breed successfully.

As i reached the Skitter,it was nice to see my first Green-veined White of the year and a look around the Blackthorn bushes on the edge of the plantation saw me seeing a new fly for myself and the patch in the form of the Tachinid species Gonia picea which is a parasite of Lepidoptera larvae.

Other insects around the bushes included Buff-tailed and Common Carder Bees,Eristalis Pertinax,tenax and nemorum and a single Eristalinus aeneus,with 4 Small Tortoiseshell also recorded.

A pretty steady 3 visits,oh for some southerly winds and some summer migrants.

Hoverfly Sp. Eristalinus aeneus,East Halton Skitter,9th.

Tachinid Fly sp.Gonia picea,East Halton Skitter,9th.

Goxhill Marsh,27th March.

Dawson City LWTR,27th March.