Monday 3 April 2017

East Halton/Goxhill Marsh,Saturday 1st April 2017.

After yesterday's intense shopping spree in Lincoln,it was time to get out again and do some birding,albeit still without my Swaro's.
 I decided to visit the old patch today and chose to park at East Halton Skitter and to start with walk up to Winter's Pond and back first and then walk up to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Dawson City and also walk back,this is what i recorded during my visit.
 As i arrived at the Skitter and parked up 3 Little Egret were seen straight away sat on the field next to the beck side,a nice start.
 I then set off along the sea wall towards Winter's Pond and sort of hoped a Wheatear may pop up at anytime,but sadly not,i had to do with the local Skylark's instead which were busy displaying and sparring,with that lovely,familiar song.
 As i neared the ponds,i could hear the song of a Chiffchaff and as i walked further,another was quickly added as well as a singing male Blackcap,good stuff i thought,but i could also see a couple of Sand Martin hawking insects over the pit and then a Swallow,yes!.
 I got myself into a better viewing position along the side of the pit and enjoyed views of not 1,but 4 Swallows and 7 Sand Martin as they caught their flying breakfasts.It was really nice to see some Swallows at last after several reports around the country,they just seem to get earlier and earlier every year.
 Other sightings here saw 2 hen Goldeneye plopping onto the pit and in the distance 2 Avocet were seen flying in at Killingholme Haven,the latter being my first local ones of the year.
 The return leg back to the car revealed very little and after a quick scoff and a drink i was off again,this time towards Dawson City.
 As i walked past the Skitter pools,a couple of Pipits flew up and as i suspected,at least one was a Water Pipit as i managed to grab a couple of grainy record shots of them in flight.There are Water Pipits here most winters,but they are really hard to view on this site,apart from in flight.
 Carrying on my walk and more Chiffchaff's were logged in the notebook along the final stretch of hedgerow towards Dawson with 4 being seen/heard.
 On arrival at Dawson itself another Chiffie and a singing male Blackcap were entered in the notebook,but little else was seen apart from an adult Grey Heron and the resident pair of Mute Swans.
 Walking back towards the Skitter saw very few bird sightings apart from the birds from earlier and a nice flock of 53 Golden Plover.
 Non bird sightings today saw a single Small Tortoiseshell being seen along the floodbank at East Halton Skitter.
 A nice morning out on the old patch.
East Halton Skitter.


Water Pipit,East Halton Skitter.

Goxhill Marsh.

Adult Grey Heron,Dawson City LWTR.

Dawson City LWTR.

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