Local Patch Roundup - April 2024.

Another great month locally with the patch year list now standing at 130 species, the following is what i recorded.

 Sunday 7th

A great visit today saw some nice birds being seen with the highlights on Winter's being a lovely Great-white Egret, my first spring record here, Great-crested Grebe, a drake Pochard and 3 Goldeneye with 12 Sand Martin, 14 Swallow and my first House Martins feeding over the main lake.

Along the floodbank and around the chimney scrub, there were 3 singing male Willow Warblers and a Siskin flew south.

The Marshes held a nice year tick in the form of a cracking male Ring Ouzel which was flushed from the northern end of the site, as it fed along the edge of the grazed sheep pasture.

Other birds on the marshes included singles of Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit and a Peregrine causing the usual mayhem.

A great record was the sight of 10 White Wagtail feeding together, the most i had recorded here to date

Saturday 13th

A great start to the day at Winter's saw me logging 5 first records for the year in the first few hours which included 2 singing male Reed Warblers, 2 singing male Sedge Warblers and singles of Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and a Whimbrel which flew south.

Other sightings included a Siskin which flew west and a lovely Harbour Porpoise watched as it moved south along the Humber.

It was fairly quiet on the marshes on today's visit, apart from a single male Wigeon.

At the Skitter another first for the year in the form of 2 Common Sandpiper kept things ticking over nicely and 3 immature Drake Goosander in the haven made for a welcome sighting.

Saturday 20th

A freezing start to the day today in 4 degrees c temps, northerly wind and showers, saw some good birds being seen despite the weather.

Highlights at Winter's were a NFY Lesser Redpoll which flew north, a cracking drake Garganey which flew off the rear pond on Winter's and onto the Humber with 5 Teal and 2 Whimbrel which flew north.

There were also a decent number of Hirundines today as well, with 57 Sand Martin and 23 Swallows watched feeding over the main lake.

Another year tick on the marshes came in the form of an Egyptian Goose with the local Goose flock, this also held a Pink-footed Goose.

Best species here today though, went to another 2 Ring Ouzels, as a pair were seen together in exactly the same spot as the bird on the 7th, cracking stuff!.

There was a big increase in White Wagtails as well, with 29 birds present today along with 3 Yellow Wagtail and 12 Black-tailed Godwit were also noted.

Saturday 27th

An even colder visit today than my last time out here, saw some great birds being seen again.

A lovely start at Winter's saw a Barn Owl hunting at dawn, my first for a while here, with 6 singing male Sedge Warblers now, 3 singing male Willow Warbler and a pair of Greylag with 6 goslings.

The marshes were again the place to be, with 18 Whimbrel, 8 White Wagtail and incredibly another Ring Ouzel, a male with 3 Fieldfare again at the northern end of the site.

In the afternoon i managed to find a lovely Wood Sandpiper, which showed distantly as it fed alongside the local Redshank flock. What a lovely species these birds are, one which i usually record in the autumn on the patch, so a spring one was most welcome.

A nice surprise at the Skitter today, was my first sighting of a Water Vole for a long time locally. It was watched along the edge of the pools giving great, but brief views.

Dawson City provided the only surprise along that area of the patch today, with a booming male Bittern being heard, a not always recorded species annually.

Sunday 28th

An evening visit for a few hours after heavy rain all day, saw some good numbers of birds again on the marshes.

The Wood Sand was still present along with 19 Dunlin, 34 Black-tailed Godwit and 3 Ringed Plover.

Wagtails were still showing well, with 8 White,5 Yellow and 4 Pieds, oh for a Citrine!

Hirundines showed in the best number so far this spring with 105 Sand martin and 44 Swallows.

A cracking series of visits, love my patch!

Great-white Egret, Winter's Pond, 7th.

The Marshes, 7th.

Male Common Toad, Winter's Pond, 7th - Phone pic.

Solar Halo Over Winter's Pond, 13th.

Goosanders, East Halton Skitter, 13th.

Sunrise Over The Humber 20th.

Hoverfly Sp. Rhingia campestris - Common Snout Fly, Skitter Road, 20th.

Green-shield Bug, Skitter Road, 20th,

Hoverfly Sp. Epistrophe elegans - Spring Smoothtail, East Halton Skitter, 20th.

Cowslips, East Halton Skitter, 20th.

Hoverfly Sp. Xylota segnis - Orange-belted Leafwalker, East Halton Skitter, 20th.

Seven-spot Ladybird, East Halton Skitter, 20th.

Hoverfly Sp. Eristalis tenax - Common Drone Fly, East Halton Skitter, 20th.

Green-veined White, Winter's Pond, 20th.

Winter's Pond, 20th.

Egyptian Goose, Winter's Pond, 20th, Phone pic through the scope.

Drinker Moth Caterpillar, Winter's Moth, 20th.

Alder Fly, Winter's Pond, 20th.

Winter's Pond Dawn, 27th.

Some Great Cloud Formations Over The Humber 27th.

Winter's Pond, 27th.

Sand Martin, Winter's Pond, 28th, phone pic through the scope.