23rd
March
Calm, warm and sunny again with
a walk round Benthall producing eight singing Chiffchaffs, the two Little
Grebes, an amazing 63 Canada Geese, 4 Snipe and a flyover Rook (surprisingly
rare in this airspace!) – a record 44 species on patch in one visit.
24th
March
Another lovely, warm day with
wall to wall sunshine; a walk in the morning round Benthall produced eight
singing Chiffchaffs, a Cormorant over to the north (rare in Wyke / Benthall
airspace), two Little Grebes still, an amazing 13 Greylag Geese (they used to
be really rare here!), six Teal and some lingering winter-thrushes with 8
Redwing and 9 Fieldfare. The highlight
though were two male Wheatears
in the traditional field up the Cart-track (I’ve seen them in these fields
several times before, it must be a regular stop-over site), there were also 26+
Meadow Pipits in this area – a big count for round these parts. Also seen were single Peacock and Small
Tortoiseshells.
26th
March
The lovely, sunny, warm, false
start to the spring continued with the daily pattern now established – a walk
to Benthall every day; birds of note comprised 10 Chiffchaffs, a male Stonechat by Benthall
Hall and 2 Redwings – 42 species.
27th
March
Still lovely, sunny and pretty
warm around Benthall where birds included seven Chiffchaffs, the male Stonechat again, one
Redwing and nine Snipe but the highlight was my first two singing Blackcaps
with one just down the track at the reedbed and another at the stile going on
Benthall Edge, just past The Vineyards – 39 species.
28th
March
Nice an sunny again for the walk
to Benthall but a chilly northerly breeze gave it an edge; birds included 9
Chiffchaffs, 2 Redwings, confirmation that there are four Little Grebes on the
pools, 4 Kestrels including a displaying pair over Water Lane, a Lesser
Black-backed Gull north and a single Snipe – 41 species.
29th
March
Still dry with spells of bright
sunshine but a strong and increasing, very cold NW wind made it unpleasant out
in the field during the daily walk to Benthall; the unexpected highlight though
was a Hawfinch
which bombed north over Benthall Farm at 09:45 – only the second record for the
area following one at Watery Lane on 24th December 2017 (the autumn
/ winter of the huge influx into the UK).
Other birds included three singing Blackcaps just down the track from
Wyke, a few Redwings hanging on (one at Wyke, twelve along Benthall Edge and
six at the pools) and four Fieldfares but far fewer singing Chiffchaffs due to
the weather – 41 species.
30th
March
Overcast and chilly but with
light winds; the first Blackcap of the year was singing on site (the same three
were still singing near Wyke), 7 Snipe, 12 Redwing and 4 Siskin over to the
west – 41 species.
Treecreeper
Stock Dove
Wheatear
Hare
Small Tortoiseshell
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