Apr 30th

It was a good bet this morning with strong south westerly winds that the mere might get something different and it did . Five Black Terns our first for eleven years not only that but five Common Terms and our first Swift of the year aswell . After finding the first two Black Terns i quickly got in contact with a few of the local birders and put news out on bird lines . Within minutes Mark John and Mick had turned up and while watching the two Blacks three more arrived from south west taking the original two with them they flew off high North East around a hour after first arriving. I had to leave for work mid-morning leaving the others behind chatting , i had not left more than five minutes when a phone call from Mark saying three Common Terns had just dropped in followed short after by two more. John then had a calling Yellow Wagtail fly over another good record for our site. Not bad at all for a small site that's lucky if we get one Common Tern a year to have ten Terns in one morning and five of them to be Blacks speachless !!!!!. Others noted this morning still three singing Reed Warbler , eight Blackcap , six Willow Warbler , nine Chiffchaff , Sparrowhawk , Buzzard , Kestrel and early morning a drake Shoveler. Also with the Swift were around twenty Sand Martin's two Swallow's and two House Martin's. 44 Sand Martins @ 18-00.

A record shot of two of this mornings Black Terns.

April 29th

Three Reed Warblers singing this morning at different locations around the mere. A drake Shoveler was spooked by a very low pass of a air balloon , and several Blackcap , Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff were also heard on my walk around . Two Swallow's arrived just as i was leaving and two Buzzard's circled overhead.

April 29th

Three Reed Warblers singing this morning at different locations around the mere. A drake Shoveler was spooked by a very low pass of a air balloon , and several Blackcap , Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff were also heard on my walk around . Two Swallow's arrived just as i was leaving and two Buzzard's circled overhead.

April 26th

A Reed Warbler has been singing for the last two days but not seen or heard today . John Spottiswood done the rounds today and it produced a Common Sandpiper , Linnet , twelve Chiffchaff , two Swallow's and four Blackcap . Also twenty eight Coot along with two broods , sixty Tufted Duck four Great Crested Grebe along with twenty two Sand Martin's .

April 18th

A increase in Willow Warblers early morning as I counted nine singing on my walk around also still good numbers of Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

April 16th

Easter Sunday at the mere and our first House Martin is sighted along with two Swallow's and fourty Sand Martin's . Eleven Chiffchaff​ and and nine Blackcap were basically all in song and a male Grey Wagtail noted . On the water we are still holding onto fifty one Tufted Duck and thirty two Coot. Sightings from John Spottiswood. Around 120 Sand Martin,s on the mere mid-afternoon.

April 13th

John Spottiswood had fifty six Tufted Duck , four Blackcap , seven Chiffchaff , five singing Willow Warbler , twenty five Sand Martin one Swallow and a Kestrel which is uncommon here at the mere.And we are still waiting for our first House Martin of the year to make a appearance.

April 10th

Had a walk around early morning with Jack we managed 40 Sand Martin and five Swallow's , also six male Blackcap and one female . Chiffchaff are still hanging around the dozen mark possibly a couple more and one more Willow Warbler as arrived we now have three on site. A Buzzard was watched for 15mins hunting after prey along the eastern bank with no success while two Jays seemed to be displaying to each other taking no notice of the Buzzard at all. Goldfinch Bullfinch and Greenfinch and Reed Bunting were all noted along the northern edge. Jack told me he had the first Speckled Wood Butterfly on the 7th and first Orange-tip on the 8th.

April 9th

Nothing changed this morning plenty of migrants in song with the added bonus of a couple of female Blackcap now present.

One of the new arrivals a female Blackcap .

April 8th

Nice early walk around this morning with Possibly a few more Chiffchaff than yesterday with six Blackcap and still two Willow Warbler , also two Reed Bunting two Bullfinch and a single Grey Heron.

Blackcap .

April 7th

Early morning walk around produced seven Chiffchaff , six Blackcap and two singing Willow Warblers. Also Cormorant , drake Shoveler , pair Reed Buntings and four Bullfinch.

April 5th

John Spottiswood done the rounds at the mere today catching up with our first Swallow of the year. Also fourty Sand Martin , five singing Blackcap along with six Chiffchaff and two Willow Warblers. On the water five Great Crested Grebe's thirty eight Coot and fifty two Tufted Duck.

April 2nd

Had a walk around with Jack early morning the best we could manage were six Blackcap and eleven singing Chiffchaff . We had a fleeting glimpse of what might have been last night's Willow Warbler but as it was not singing we could not be sure. Also noted two pairs Bullfinch a single Grey Heron and Buzzard .

April 1st

Well we are into April now and we are still missing Swallow , House Martin and Willow Warbler from the records . We finished last month with 55 species one more than the previous month . There are a few Sandwich Terns moving through the country today with one just a few miles down the road at Westport Lake so fingers crossed. Early evening John Spottiswood found our first Willow Warbler of the year along with two singing Blackcap and eleven Chiffchaff. Also 35 Coots , 39 Tufted Duck , two pairs Great Crested Grebe's and a single Sand Martin.