24th March

Visiting birders found four Garganey (two drakes) on the floodwater north of Morton Bridge this morning. Unfortunately the birds were flushed and flew off north. I assumed this would be ‘my’ pair plus another but when I walked along the original two birds were still on the floodwater south of the bridge this morning. Slightly better light but still ridiculously distant…

Amazing that three quarters of the Garganey reported in the whole of north-east England were attracted to this short stretch of the Swale!

The flood pools also held four Mute Swans, four Gadwall, 31 Shelduck, 150+ Herring Gulls and 45 Lesser Black-backeds. Along the river I saw two Little Egrets, four Goosander, three pairs of Oystercatcher and a Grey Wagtail. More Chiffchaffs in too, with four singing birds today.