Another incredible morning today, the 1st May. This has to be one of the most exciting springs I can remember, with birds turning up everywhere and in considerable numbers.
This morning I was at Etton Maxey Pits by 8am and soon found two whinchat flitting around in the grass and on the new fence in the south west corner of the reserve, by the gate. These are lovely, graceful birds which like wheatears inhabit rough up-land grassland in the north of the country. The last one I saw was on the Nene Washes a few years ago - I've never seen them here. There was also a male wheatear in its now usual spot on the bank with a male yellow wagtail there later on the way back.
At last too the sound of the cuckoo, calling across the reserve. My first of the spring.
Watching from the bench over the Pits a female marsh harrier suddenly appeared quartering over the far bank and then heading off north, escorted by a lapwing. And lapwings were pretty busy too as a hobby burst across the reserve heading south.
There were 12 common tern on the pits, along with redshank, little ringed and ringed plover.
But the main moment came when I suddenly picked out a bittern flying across the horizon to the west of the bench, over the Old Maxey Pits. At first I thought it was a buzzard, but a close look soon proved me wrong. The bittern circled round a couple of times before gaining height and heading off south.
As I walked back along the bank, I met up with Chris Lines and Malcolm Holley who had also found the bittern and we watched it for several minutes as it circled round the Old Maxey Pits, over the Cut and then back round and finally off north over Maxey Church!
As if this wasn't enough, a stoat ran across the Etton Maxey Road as I drove up to the hard standing to put the new padlocks on the gates.
And at Swaddywell for the sixth day - the female Ring Ouzel, and at least one wheatear. I got great views of the Ouzel, probably the best of the week, as she perched upright on rocks in the stone pit.
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