Normandy Lagoon & RSPB Frampton Marsh :: 23 & 27 April 2024

I'd been on a week-long business trip and so was still in the air when Kev @kev07713 and our other birding friends all travelled to Lymington to see the marsh sandpiper at Normandy Marshes; it would be a lifer for almost every one of them as this species is often known as a 'one day' visitor. It is a migratory wading bird that only occasionally visits the UK, primarily during the spring and autumn migration seasons. Another bird I would dip due to a business trip I thought, just like the Wantage nighthawk.

So when I arrived at Normandy Marshes on Tuesday evening, I got a message from Kev "You are a little tinker, as you said you were busy ...". I'd slipped out of the office a little early with the marsh sandpiper reported several times through the day (showing well) and was now parked up and making my way round to the lagoon, joining a single watcher on the lower level path, camera trained. I inquired as to the bird's location only to be told that it had flown just under an hour before, and no one had been able to relocate it; although it was believed it had dropped somewhere on the other side of the lagoon. The chap I was talking to had already run a sortie and so I decided to try and see if I could locate it myself by walking the sea wall - I could see another birder on a scope scanning from halfway along the visible path. Through the scope and bins, I could see a curlew sandpiper on the tip of an island but as I considered a record shot it turned back and out of view.

I made my way round but couldn't pull out the bird. By the time I reached the turn at the far end I could see a handful of little terns fishing at distance, primarily due to the tide being out (but gradually turning). I stopped to admire these cracking birds - a year tick. The return of little terns to the UK in spring is a highly anticipated event for birders, arriving in late April to early May, marking the start of the breeding season. These birds undertake a remarkable migration from their wintering grounds in West Africa, traveling thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean to reach their breeding grounds in the UK. They follow a migratory route known as the "East Atlantic Flyway," which takes them along the coastlines of Portugal, Spain, and France before reaching us. Little terns prefer nesting sites on sandy beaches, shingle banks, and salt marshes near the coast, feeding on small fish, crustaceans, and other marine invertebrates, which they catch by plunge-diving into the water from flight, often hovering above before they dive.

The little terns were then ever present and I counted a dozen on the main island in the centre of the lagoon. As I searched, I found numbers of bar-tailed godwits, and a single greenshank. Try as I might, I couldn't locate a whimbrel which I thought would be nailed on given the exposed estuary basin. A couple of grey plovers flew by.

I reached the far end of the path that allowed me to look across the far extent of the lagoon and searched for the marsh sandpiper in vain. In the end I turned back and checked that the handful of birders on the opposite side weren’t on the bird - they weren't. I started back and continued scanning regularly across the lagoon and to my left as the sea continued to rise again.

I reached about halfway back when there seemed to be some coordination in scoping of the lagoon by birders on the far edge. When I looked out, I could see the marsh sandpiper feeding with redshanks in the middle of the pool, foraging for small invertebrates and aquatic insects in the mud and shallow water - phew! It was around 160m out, but I took photos regardless just as a record - not a frame filler unfortunately. The marsh sandpiper is similar in appearance to other wading birds in the Tringa genus, such as the common and spotted redshank. It has a long, slender bill, grey-brown plumage with white underparts, and distinctive greenish legs. In flight, it shows a prominent white wing bar and white rump.

I started back and found a group of dunlins with a single sanderling, feeding before the sun set. I started the journey home and a late dinner.

Saturday arrived with forecast of intermittent rain starting from late morning and so I asked Kev if we might visit RSPB Frampton Marsh - it has a number of hides where we could shelter if the rain got heavy, and it is easy to start early before the centre opens. Kev had been earlier in the week but had dipped the red-breasted goose so perhaps that might be a nice bird to see - not a year tick as we saw one down on the Kent coast earlier in the year when visiting for the water thrush. I hadn't visited to catch up with the lesser yellowlegs this year and the had been a wood sandpiper reported the day before.

Unusually we didn't stop for breakfast, really to save time and beat the potential rain. Breakfast is always available in the Visitor's Centre and so we planned to pop there part way through the morning. We set out along the main path and before long stopped, and Kev picked out a little gull feeding on a distant pool. Off to our left I spotted a single swift, a year tick for both Kev and I. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

Four swans approached from our right and passed the Visitor's centre where we thought they'd landed beyond; checking they were nowhere to be seen. What had caught our eye was than one was a whooper swan and reminded us of an out of season bird here previously. Perhaps we'd catch up with them later. Overhead a couple of Mediterranean gulls called and passed through.

We made our way round to the 360 Hide and on the way a reed warbler flew across the path and was another year tick for me. I was surprised that the water had been drained from one pool by the hide, but I assume there is method in this madness. It does affect the number of waders seen but perhaps has benefits later. From the hide we quickly located the swans and our whooper, soon watching two depart and one of them our bird. Scanning the islands Kev pulled out two little gulls that preening on a distant island. While I took photos they gradually worked closer and entertained on the wing. A couple of Mediterranean gulls bobbed on the water at distance, probably those that we'd seen previously.

We moved on to the Reedbed Hide and where Kev had seen a black tern on his last visit. It wasn't showing and likely had left site but we did have two sandwich terns through, but they didn't stop for their photo session. A couple dropped in and announced that they had seen the red-breasted goose on the marsh - first thing it had been reported at Freiston but appeared to have returned to this site. A black-winged stilt flew from well off to our left and I managed to get Kev and the couple on it before it dropped up the track - immediately going to sleep.

We considered going for breakfast but as we'd got this far, we decided to go up onto the sea wall and look across the marsh for the goose. Passing the stilt, it woke for about 10 seconds and then settled back with beak under wing. Hopefully the male returns and we have another season where they breed here.

Along the path we were down at a nice level to watch the avocets as they congregated on the small islands, interacting with one another. I took a few photos but probably should have spent a bit more time to get some more behavioural shots. A kingfisher cut across the water.

We continued on up to the sea wall and overlooking the marsh we could see numbers of brent geese moving around but no sign of the red-breasted goose. We worked along and out into the marsh spotting my first whimbrel of the year plus a leucistic redshank. I walked along the path and looking down into a gully spotted two kingfishers, one departing almost immediately. We continued to watch and work through the brent geese in the air and on the ground, but our goose wasn't amongst them. Eventually we decided it was time for breakfast and made our way back.

Almost at the centre we came across a birder we'd talked to earlier who alerted us that the red-breasted goose was showing well up the main track towards the sea wall. Breakfast could wait. We set off and stepped aside to allow a car to pass - in my head I thought "I hope it doesn't flush the birds". Damn ... it did and when we got to the spot, the red-breasted goose had gone. We scanned through the brent geese that has relocated but weren't able to pick out our bird. A little ringed plover dropped in front of us. We spent quite a while searching but eventually talking to a passing birder, we discovered that the bird was in a flock at the very back of the pool and viewable from the sea wall. Off we went.

We moved quickly, and I got ahead of Kev anxious to make sure of seeing it this time. A few flocks left the field and I hoped we'd not lost our chance but needn't have worried as I found it out on the marsh. It fed with a couple of dozen brent geese and after almost five minutes it was up and off - eventually relocating well out of reach.

We scanned around but didn't find a lot more of note and so we made our way back to the Visitor’s Centre and lunch - so much time had passed that we couldn't call it breakfast anymore. Almost back we stopped to watch a couple of spoonbills feeding.

Fed we made our way across the car park where we added our first yellow wagtail of the day, and a rather nice black-tailed godwit. We weren't going to stop and made our way back out of the reserve to a path leading off left. Along we went eventually coming across the lesser yellowlegs, spotted redshank and two greenshanks amongst the redshanks, dunlins, and ruff. Eventually Kev spotted the wood sandpiper on the far bank and allowed an older couple to observe through his scope. They followed us round and got some better views from the bench, and then of the wood sandpiper in the far corner.

We helped the couple get better views of the wood sandpiper before it evaporated while we were searching for yellow wagtails. Once they'd gone, we walked further down the track seeing a rather attractive redshank and handfuls of yellow wagtails. Out in the fields a hare posed for its profile picture.

We strolled back and along the track hearing a few birds including a few blackcaps but didn't spend much time seeking views. We'd had a good day, and it was time to hit the road with 72 species seen and at least another 5 heard.

Year list: 191.

Grimsbury Reservoir, Berkshire & Otmoor :: 09 & 13 April 2024

I left work just after 6.00pm and when having dinner, noticed an update on the Banbury Birders WhatsApp that two Arctic terns had been found at Grimsbury Resevoir by John Friendship-Taylor @987jonty. There was a follow-up message from Kev Heath @kev07713 to say they were still present and that there were also yellow and white wagtails. My wife said she was going to pop to the shops and so I decided to nip back to the other end of town and see if I could tick these long-distance migrants.

Arctic terns undertake one of the longest migrations of any bird species, traveling from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to their wintering grounds in the Antarctic, and back again; they cover an astonishing distance of up to 44,300 miles round trip, equivalent to traveling more than twice around the circumference of the Earth. They typically arrive or passing through the UK in late April to early May, and breed in colonies located in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, including the British Isles, nesting on coastal cliffs, rocky islands, and sometimes even on floating icebergs.

I arrived to find Mark Ribbons, and Kev & Karen Heath watching the birds feed across the water, unusually not diving for fish but seemingly catching flies over the water. As the light fell, and we sheltered from occasional rain showers, the terns gracefully worked up and down the water, never diving in. Kev picked out the yellow wagtail through his scope on the far bank (also a year tick for me) but couldn't relocate the white wagtail. A good couple of mid-weeks ticks - I usually don't bird in the week.

Saturday arrived, and we agreed to drop down into Berkshire for nightingale and Dartford Warbler - nothing like the sound of nightingales in the Spring. They typically arrive in the UK in April, marking the onset of spring, their arrival coinciding with the availability of suitable breeding habitat and the emergence of insects. Nightingales undertake an arduous migration journey of thousands of miles, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert - the exact route and distance covered varies between individuals and populations, but they typically travel several thousand miles. Once they have established territories, Nightingales begin to sing to attract mates and defend their nesting sites. Their beautiful and melodious song is a hallmark of spring in the UK, filling the air with rich, flute-like notes during the dawn and dusk hours.

Arriving onto site we set off across the gorse-rich and bush/tree lined perimeter immediately seeing a chiffchaff coming off the ground and a very vocal common whitethroat in the hedges, giving me a run-around to get a photo; this is my first of the year.

We walked on, watching for Dartford's but seeing plenty of stonechats when Kev stopped and pointed to where he'd heard the start of a nightingale call - then it went into full song, and we moved along the path to see if we could get a view. For a good 15 minutes we couldn't see it but could easily narrow it down to an area; we simply enjoyed the song. Eventually we caught some movement and could see the bird but when it stopped again it was still deep in the bush and I couldn't get a clear line for a photo - we'd have had to walk across to the bush and that wouldn't have been acceptable, especially as it was on territory. A year tick in any case. Behind and through the trees I could see a male bullfinch - that has taken a while to tick this year!

We saw and heard a woodlark high in the sky but out of reach and when it dropped it was far over and in the region of tall dense trees. We picked out a Dartford warbler in a low tree just as it dropped down and out of view, into a patch of low gorse. Within a couple of minutes, it popped up and shot left into a further line of gorse. Yet another year tick.

We circled back at the end of the path and found lots of dog walkers with their beasts off lead - while most were not distracted we saw one chasing a pair of muntjac deers, completely out of control - really there should be signs, especially at this time of year where there will be a lot of ground nesting birds - and to protect against dogs with insufficient training. While being flushed left and right by walkers (mostly with dogs), a wheatear fed along a stretch of grass close to us. So far this year I've been unable to get close enough to one for a photo - here was my chance. Beyond me a handful of linnets and meadow pipits fed on the ground and I picked out a whinchat but it was flushed before Kev could get on it.

We followed a path running parallel to the one we'd come out on, and heard another nightingale behind, deciding not to search for it. A Dartford perched in a tree ahead but against the bright sky and so it was a job to pick out the features. Another stonechat, this one a female perched low on some gorse to the left and four/five house martins dropped on a large puddle ahead before leaving as quickly as they arrived.

While we heard more woodlarks, today was not our day for a close encounter and so after reaching the end of the circuit we stopped for a coffee before making our way back to RSPB Otmoor to see if we could pick up any warblers recently returned.

There was a lot of water in the car park at Otmoor which rendered a number of the spaces relatively unusable/undesirable. We waited for a chap and his sone to pack up and depart to take their spot. We turned the first corner and came across a vocal and showy chiffchaff, dancing around the base of a hedgerow - it exhibited a strong supercilium which caught our attention, although it already had to be honest, especially the way it flapped its wings as we watched.

Our key now was to follow the bridleway and see some sedge warblers, which we did very quickly, however getting one out in the open for a photo was somewhat of a challenge. The birds were in general out of sight - a couple from Somerset stopped for a chat and remarked how subdued it was now, compared to when they arrived at late breakfast time. There were quite a few marsh harriers over Greenaways and some interactions with the red kites, but it was all rather quiet. There were brimstone and peacock butterflies and our first dragonfly of the Spring, but nothing really to excite.

We then managed to get a sedge warbler that didn't mind being seen and I got my photo. Another first of the year but we couldn't locate a reed bunting or any other migrants just in.

It had been a good day out with some cracking migrants just in, so we pulled stumps, and I dropped Kev back home. I'm away on business for the next week and so it will likely be a couple of weeks before I get out again.

Year list: 180.