The Stour Valley list for 2018 stands at 123(+1) species so far.
April 8th
A very wet and rainy Sunday with not too many birds seen. Most of the morning was spent in Marsh hide where, 8 summer plumaged Water Pipits were showing as were the 2 Green Sandpipers from yesterday. New for the year however appeared in the form of 3 smart Yellow Wagtails and a brief Little-ringed Plover. No sooner landed it was chased off by a Lapwing!
April 7th
The Ramp pool had 1 Shelduck, a duck Pintail and 8 of todays 20 plus Snipe ( the others at Marsh hide) and a Kingfisher was on the stick in front of Feast hide. Our first Sedge Warbler of the year was heard at 'Aquatic Corner' one of at least 9 today.A couple of singing Chiffchaffs at Grove but at least a dozen at Stodmarsh and a very loud and vocal Yellowhammer at Middle Drove where we encountered the female Ring Ouzel seen by Rick Smith yesterday. Three Little Egrets flew west past Marsh hide while at the hide there was one of two Redshanks seen toady, 7+ Water Pipits (most in summer plumage), 2 Green Sandpipers and a dozen pairs of Lapwings with two or three on nests. The third Mammal of the day was seen just before Marsh hide in the shape of a Mink, and Otter would have been better! Four or five singing Blackcaps at Stodmarsh plus one or two females a calling Tawny Owl at 10.34, 2 Treecreepers and several Chaffinches. At Collard's the drake Scaup was still present plus in the cow fields were 35-40 Corn Buntings, 20+ Linnets and a male Redstart in the hedge line separating the fields. Rob Racliffe had a Red Kite over the Ramp at 10.50 that we, sadly missed but, on driving back to Grove to Drop Sue and Dave off a Red Kite drifted low out of the reserve over Grove road near the top of Harrison's Drove.
An excellent start to the morning with a bit of dawn chorus and 2 booming male Bitterns and a Beaver swimming down the dyke in front of Feast hide towards us on the Ramp eventually crossing to the dyke alongside the main pool then, a Water Vole in the dyke directly of the Ramp to the east.