5th April

Another good day with several new year ticks today. A late morning visit to the Trap Grounds turned up a singing WILLOW WARBLER in the trees near the small side ponds. There were also a couple of singing Chiffchaffs there as well.

The mothing season has kicked off now. So far in my garden it's just been a
few of the usual suspects such as this Common Quaker

Later in the day on the floods there was a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, four OYSTERCATCHERS, five REDSHANK and a LITTLE EGRET - the first of the year complete with a handsome breeding crest. What's more Tommaso Pizzari also found a NUTHATCH in the Oaks over by Medley Farm so at last we have that on the year list too. To round things off, Mary MacDougall reported that the Kestrel is finally back in Burgess Field in its usual area.

There are a lot of these small Bittercresses around at the moment which can be confusingly similar. This is Wavy Bittercress, told from the similar Hairy Bittercress by the hairs on the stem (perversely, Hairy is smooth stemmed) and the fact that there are five or more stem leaves (four pairs and a terminal one - Hairy has four) . They flowers also has six stamen rather than the four that Hairy has.