6th March

The floods are back in the lower fields and on Langlands.

They proved an instant attraction to Black-headed Gulls with an estimated 650 birds on the How Beck fields and a further 300 on the Langlands pool. Other gulls were much scarcer with 20 Common Gulls, five Lesser Black-backed and a dozen Herrings.

My first Canada Geese of the year were on here

Along with five Teal and four Wigeon

The first Curlews and Lapwings are displaying now. It’s difficult to transcribe the Lapwing’s call, K G Spencer in the excellent (but long out of print) “The Lapwing in Britain” lists different options but finally goes for ayhrre willuch-o-weep, weep, weep; eyu-weep which is pretty good! There are still flocks of Lapwings around too, I assume these are birds that breed further north (or abroad) and haven’t yet gone onto territory?

This evening I had a five minute stroll around the Magic Garden. Two Roe Deer were in the neighbouring field. Whilst I was watching these I heard a splash in the lake, I turned round expecting a bird but actually saw a mammal swimming away half hidden by vegetation. Surely an Otter? 

It was actually this….

That is the first time I have ever seen a rabbit swimming and I can only assume that it fell in. It also had a strange swimming motion half-leaping out of the water with each forward thrust. Fortunately it was able to scramble out...

Year list to end of February 76 species.