Well another Easter is here and the usual gorging of high calorie, high sugar,high fattening and high priced Chocolate Eggs sweeps through the country, also sweeping through the country is that of typical Easter weather, Showers, wind, chills and sunny spells "The Usual"
Anyway enough waffle and back to the birding, Met with Paul today and started off Gulling, where a Pair of Adult SP Meds were the highlight all but brief as they flew over head calling. Large Gulls were down in Numbers and the Tip not working really didn't produce much today. 2 swallows flying in off the River were the first spring Migrants of 2010 for myself.
After the initial sighting of the first 2 Swallows another 12+ were located nearby perched up on telegraph wires and in flight.
After leaving Mucking we ventured over to Vange Marsh where 40+ Shoveler, 20+ Wigeon, 30+ Teal, Little Egret, a Pair of Oystercatcher, Pair of G C Grebe's, 1 Lapwing, several vocal Cetti's Warbler's and a further 2 Swallows were the highlights of a cold and windy morning. Rain set in early afternoon and so it was time to grab some food.
Water levels are extremely high this year on Vange and the main area of Marsh has no where for Waders to feed and so the only small area is that of the saline lagoon. The main marsh when in a good condition can be good for Wood Sandpipers in Spring but maybe not this year.
