Wildlife Trust Summer Leys :: 28 May 2016

My second visit to @wildlifebcn #SummerLeys and this time I was accompanied by Eilidh. Started off early and got there around 8.40am. The car park was much quieter than last time so probably there would be no special birds viewable from the Pioneer Hide - this proved to be the case. Only thing of note for me was a lone pochard, picked out by Eilidh and a little ringed plover.

We progressed onto the path around the site and soon came across garden warbler not far from where I saw it last time. In the field to the right was a flock of mute swans but passing through the flock were two red-legged partridge - we took photos of ladybird and other insects as we waiting on the partridges progress across the field and eventually they got close enough for a shot.

At the feeders we were spoiled by around five pairs of bullfinches, two squirrels, marsh tit, chaffinch, blue coal and great tits. As we got through the first gate we were lucky enough to hear and then spot some obliging reed warblers. As we got onto the high path beyond the second gate we found sedge warblers and then the nesting sand martins. At one point a goldfinch was hanging on the edge of one of the holes in the wall; who knows what it was doing.

We turned for home and didn't encounter anything new until we were almost back to the car - a willow warbler singing in a high tree dragged us back a few tens of metres to see what was singing. The bird looked a little fluffy and perhaps could have been a juvenile?

Only good experiences here so far. One to keep on my list.

Sightings today (44) included: swift, woodpigeon, black-headed gull, carrion crow, canada goose, greylag goose, reed bunting, mute swan, cormorant, tufted duck, mallard, common tern, gadwall, shelduck, jackdaw, coot, great-crested grebe, lapwing, magpie, pochard, lesser black-backed gull, little ringed-plover, great tit, robin, long-tailed tit, chaffinch, dunnock, garden warbler, red-legged partridge, green woodpecker, buzzard, blue tit, wren, coal tit, greenfinch, marsh tit, bullfinch, goldfinch, blackbird, reed warbler, sedge warbler, sand martin, starling and willow warbler.