PURPLE HERON reappears

The first-summer PURPLE HERON was relocated at Brogborough Lake this afternoon but flew quickly east and returned to Lagoon 9 at Marston Vale Millenium Park. It then flew again and went back down in the small pool between Rookery North and South Pit (Andy Plumb, Martin Green, and others).

The BAR-TAILED GODWIT passage petered out by 0900 hours, with a further flock of 16 through Broom (Steve Blain) and 3 with a Common Greenshank at Willington GP (Tim Robson)

At Harlington, the confiding SHORT-EARED OWL remains

Major passage of BAR-TAILED GODWITS

BAR-TAILED GODWITS were moving in large numbers this morning with 10 at Gypsy Lane Pit first thing followed by 25 through Broom GP at 0810 hours (Steve Blain)

A further 70 or more passed through Rookery Pit South (with some lingering) (Andy Plumb) whilst Neil Wright noted both WHIMBREL and ARCTIC TERN at Brogborough

BAR-WIT bonanza

THURSDAY 28 APRIL

Another very cold day with the wind remaining ENE and quite strong at times. Very cloudy and grey early on but then much brighter this afternoon. Everywhere still very dry, with the ground baked hard. BAR-TAILED GODWITS were the order of the day with 9 birds locally, four of which lingered to allow many birders to connect.......

ROOKERY PIT SOUTH (BEDFORDSHIRE)

After hearing that Dave and Roy's Wilstone BAR-WITS (2) and WHIMBREL had flown straight through and east, I made my way towards Bedfordshire where I was convinced some BAR-TAILED GODWITS would pitch down at some stage and become twitchable. In the event, I was very fortunate, as up until 0949 hours at least, a party of 4 individuals (1 transitional and 3 winter-plumaged types) remained on the mud in Rookery South Pit. Sitting shivering in my shorts, other birds detected during several 'scope scans included the long-staying single adult ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, 3 Common Redshank, several Ringed Plover and 4 Little Ringed Plovers.

A single drake GARGANEY was also apparent, Mute Swans were still nesting (despite being left for dry with the receding water level) and the perimeter scrub despite the cold still harboured both singing Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler.

The gaudy male YELLOW WAGTAIL was still present on the manure pile by the entrance track.

STEWARTBY LAKE (BEDS)

Following both MJP and Pip to Stewartby, that water body was surprisingly birdless - just 1 Common Tern at 1000 hours, 70 Barn Swallows and 50+ House Martins

BROGBOROUGH LAKE (BEDS)

Again, pretty birdless - 9 Common Terns, 80 Barn Swallows and a singing Willow Warbler

QUEST PIT AND THE HARDWICKS (BEDS)

No Godwits or any other waders of note to speak of - potential breeding Northern Pochards at four different sites the highlights

DEREK WHITE'S EGGS A1 PIT, BIGGLESWADE (BEDS)

A single ARCTIC TERN here at 1105 hours was of note, but keeping mainly to the adjacent river rather than the pit, 8 Common Terns, an adult summer DUNLIN, Ringed Plovers, the lone Barnacle Goose and 18 House Martins. The 3 Bar-tailed Godwits had departed to the north at 0945 - so long gone

THE LODGE SANDY RSPB (BEDS)

Joined Bob, Lol, Jim and Pip at the reserve but despite walking the entire length and breadth of the 'New Heath', no sight nor sound of Andy Schofield's early morning Tree Pipit - the weather was just not conducive for a bird like that to sing and display.

In over an hour searching, the best I could find were 3 singing male GARDEN WARBLERS, a COMMON CUCKOO and 8 singing male Common Whitethroats

PEACOCK'S LAKE, BROOM GP (BEDS)

Back to Broom and at 1240 hours, of the 35 terns flying over the lake 7 were ARCTIC and 28 Common - the ARCTICS all keeping together and flying over towards the southern shore.

Little else of note though - 8 Mute Swans on the pit by the entrance track and 2 Little Grebes and a singing male Western Reed Warbler and COMMON CUCKOO and numerous singing male Common Whitethroats.

ROXTON GP (BEDS)

No sign of any Bar-wits here, just the breeding pair of Oystercatchers, 8 Mute Swans (1 pair nesting), a Common Tern and 162 Barnacle Geese

BAR-WIT bonanza

A flock of 4 BAR-TAILED GODWITS arrived in Rookery Pit South early morning and were still there early afternoon. Two were then seen at Peacock's Lake, Broom, before being joined by a third, with all three departing NE at 0840. They pitched back down at Derek White's where they remained for about an hour......several observers

Thanks to a text from Steve via Jim Gurney, I just nipped over to the plateau to scope Derek's from the Lodge to see three summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwits. At 9.45 they flew off and I picked them up flying towards me. They veered off over the main house and gardens rather than overhead which was a shame as I was posed with camera for an awful record shot (Richard Bashford)

Mid evening update from Martin Stevens at Broom GP: 9 ARCTIC TERNS, first-summer LITTLE GULL, Greenshank, RUFF,

At dusk the Little Gull and two Ruff were present (Steve Blain)

ARCTIC TERNS now coming through as expected

Following a single in Rookery South for most of the day, Steve Blain has found 8 ARCTIC TERNS at Broom Peacock's Lake this evening.....the first of many I'm sure

PURPLE HERON still present

This morning at c. 09:30, I observed c.80 Waxwings behind Sandhouse Lane in a bare tree some 200 yards further south than yesterday's favourite oak tree (where there were up to 100 yesterday). On my return at 1pm, they were nowhere to be seen, but were probably still in the area.

Earlier in Rookery, the first-summer PURPLE HERON made a pleasant reappearance (thanks to Dave Ball for spotting it !) just after 11am and spent 5 minutes flying over the pit before heading off to MVCP. Other birds of note were 2 Red Crested Pochards, 1 Greenshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Redshank, 2 Shoveler, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Yellow Wagtail and at least 2 Hobbies, c 12 Common Tern and 1 ARCTIC TERN. No sign of the drake Garganey which I saw there yesterday at c. 3.30pm. There was also another (?) Yellow Wagtail perched on the heap of horse manure upon leaving the site at around 12:30pm (Peter Nash)