The turning of the tide

Things are changing, slowly, on the patch.  In just a few weeks the Swifts will be gone and already some of our wintering birds are returning.

First up an eclipse male Gadwall tested out the waters of the Alex and the Heronry looking for his kind, and this morning Dan H reports 2 Teal on the Alex. Black-headed Gull numbers are on the rise; 30 + on the flats with a splinter group mugging bread from the ducks and geese on Heronry.  The first Common Gull, quickly followed by a second earlier this week, is now to be seen loafing around with the BHGs on the playing fields by the Alex. It's getting towards that time the larger gulls that are to be found early doors on the footy pitches could be joined by something a tad more interesting: Yellow-legged Gull or perhaps a Mediterranean Gull, both would be acceptable.

We may have to wait until the ground work is finished on the Jub before anything waderish pops in (still waiting for a Common Sandpiper, or any Sandpiper, for the year), but we have had movement of Lapwings, another good sign.

Heart racing stuff. It does mean the seasons are shifting once more and the exciting stuff is getting closer.

Then it will be just manic!