Whimbrels and Whitethroats...23rd April

I called at Moss House Farm today to drop some seed off and had a walk round in the hope that I might have a few migrants. It felt like one of those late afternoon spring overshoot sort of days as it was warm, humid and the wind was from the south. Unfortunately it didn't turn out to be one of those spring overshoot type of days!

Walking round I had a few Corn Buntings on territory as I noted 3 singing birds. As last year, one of them was using a large mole hill for a song post. Tree Sparrows were still present and I had 8 birds around Curlew Wood. It is certainly worth checking the boxes in Curlew Wood and the other 10 boxes I have put up away from Curlew Wood.

As I don't often walk the farm at this time of year it was surprising to see some of the pastures covered in May flower with attendant Orange-tip Butterflies of course. I did have a few migrants in the form of singing Blackcap in the L Wood, 18 Whimbrel feeding in spring crops, 4 singing Willow Warblers in the plantation, 4 singing Whitethroats in the plantation, 6 Wheatears on a ploughed field with a single White Wagtail.

Dodgy record shot of Whimbrel

Later in the afternoon I had to collect someone from Poulton station and as I waited for the train to arrive I had a female Bullfinch in some scrubby woodland opposite the platform. So what, you might ask, but in the Fylde Bullfinch's aren't that common. Interestingly about 20 years ago we ringed a few in some scrub in a disused railway cutting not far from here, so it looks like they are still hanging on.