The Big Year for IMF is going strong as mid-late March saw us smash through the 100 species mark for the year. Thank You.
The usual suspects - avocet (11th), sand martin (13th), wheatear (13th), chiffchaff (25th), house martin (25th), swallow (25th) - were joined by an early fall of blackcaps (14th) and the latest figure stands at 106 species for 2011.
Other additions to the list include a short-eared owl (26th) hunting our rough grassland area no doubt forced onto higher ground by the recent high tides - ua couple more hae been showing well in the nearby Chapel Fields
A barn owl was also reported hunting the same field the previous evening (25th).
The appearance of a little grebe, aka dabchick, for a couple of days is also a first for the year and actually they are not that common on this part of the reserve.
Swifts will soon arrive but what will April hold?
Last April saw lots of arrivals: willow warbler (2nd), garganey (4th), spoonbill (7th), grasshopper warbler, sedge warbler and whitethroat (all 12th), little tern (19th), osprey (23rd), hobby (25th), tree pipit (26th), yellow wagtail and common tern (30th) - a repeat would see us push the 120 mark before May!
So remember to report any interesting sightings to RSPB staff/volunteers on site and make sure we get it on the year list!
Currently we're on 112 ... can we make 120 before May???
recent additions are:
107. white wagtail
108. little ringed plover - added after reports to www.deeestuary.co.uk and the "Cheshire" thread
109. med gull - 30/03
110. willow warbler - 04/04 - a late addition after an admin error oops!
111. greenshank – 05/04
112. whitethroat - yesterday (10/04)
Still need Collared Dove, swift, any tern, osprey, hobby, yellow wagtail, spoonbill, grasshopper and sedge warbler and tree pipit!