A clear morning at last now that the wind has turned away from the east blowing at SW>4 with 40% cloud cover though the afternoon got up too sunny and warm at 20 degrees to be any good.
A momentous occasion this morning to see the 2 Ringed Plover chicks, that I have been monitoring since hatching, finally fledged after 21 days and took their first few short flights of only a few yards but another couple of days and they will be able to move around freely giving them some added protection from predators.
The birds fledged bang on time in line with the text books giving 21 to 24 days. The female is still active so I,m hoping that she doesnt go for a second brood ,which is quite possible into July with this species, as this would mean a hold up of the reservoir filling for the next 3 weeks with only about another week of work before the conduit bypass is removed and the plug put in.
Otherwise it was just the usual species apart from the unwanted visitor of a Peregrine over the water but soon seen off by Lapwings. One pair of Lapwing today appeared with 2 very young chicks which shows that breeding for this special is not over yet even though several fields are now being cut for silage.
Fly Flatts
1pr Ringed Plover + 2 fledged juvs at 21 days old.
7 Common Sandpiper + several chicks
4 Snipe
2 Redshank
1 Peregrine
1 Oystercatcher
7 Golden Plover
1 pr Pied Wagtail
Low count of LBB and Herring gulls
+ usual sp.
BS