Recent news

On 18 May, Broom GP attracted a WOOD SANDPIPER and SANDERLING (SCB), with a singing male WOOD WARBLER near Harrold (Duncan Woodhead).

A drake GARGANEY was on the Pillinge on 19 May (Steve Northwood), with BLACK TERN on Peacock's Lake, Broom, on 20 May (SCB) and a WHITE STORK gliding south very high over Upper Caldecote at 1740 hours on 22 May (Alan Wakeford).

A RUFF was at Derek White's on 24 May, with 2 GREY PLOVERS at Radwell Viaduct Pit and a SANDERLING in Rookery South.

More recently, a COMMON QUAIL has been calling near Wrestlingworth at TL 264 464

NIGHTJAR near Potton for second evening

The male EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR at Pegnut Wood showed for around 30 seconds at 21:25 this evening, before flying in to the wood and not showing again before we left at 21:45.

It was present around the field planted with whips at approx TL228480.

Steve Blain

Broom this evening

Ringed Plover - at least 31 on site this evening, including many tundra
Sanderling - 1 still in ploughed field
Dunlin - 13 (10 on ploughed field, 3 on GLE)
Greenshank - 1 GLE
LRP - 7+
Redshank - 6+
Arctic Tern - 3 still
Hobby - 2

Steve Blain

Sightings 5-8 May

All 3 BLACK-NECKED GREBES remained throughout at Derek White's, whilst early Saturday saw 6 GREY PLOVERS still at Gypsy Lane West, Broom, and the first WOOD SANDPIPER of the spring (Mark Thomas/Lol Carman et al). A COMMON GREENSHANK appeared on 7th-8th.

A female RING OUZEL was at Skimpot, Blows Downs, on 5th (Mick Price), with 2 at Pegsdon Hills that day and 2 WHINCHATS throughout at Stanford (Stuart Warren) and another at Marston Vale (Paul Wright).

Another hectic but frustrating day

Early morning saw a SANDERLING at Gypsy Lane East (many observers), with the GREY PLOVER still in the field just west of Peacock's Lake (Steve Blain). Next off, a TURNSTONE appeared on Millbrook Pillinge (Nick Cook), whilst on Stewartby Lake, the breeding-plumaged SLAVONIAN GREBE, drake COMMON SCOTER, 8 Yellow Wagtails and TURTLE DOVE remained (LGRE et al).

A WHINCHAT was behind Toddinton Services (Chris Dreary), with the female still at Blows Downs.

Yesterday's Pillinge BLACK-NECKED GREBES (3 birds) relocated east to Derek White's Pit (SCB et al), whilst Broom Gypsy Lane East & West during the afternoon produced a single DUNLIN and Common Sandpiper (LGRE & Stuart Warren), a BAR-TAILED GODWIT (SCB, Matt Burgess, et al), a WHIMBREL very briefly (Jim Gurney) and a flock of 6 GREY PLOVERS (JG, MJP)

The first-summer LITTLE GULL continues for a third day at Brogborough Lake (LGRE) with a WHIMBREL at lunchtime on Biggleswade Common (Kathy Sims)

Broom takes the biscuit with bird after bird being found - excitement all day in NE winds and rain

The day started with 3 full breeding-plumaged BLACK-NECKED GREBES on the Pillinge Pit at Marston Vale Millenium Park. They performed well all day (JG, LGRE, MJP, LC, BC, BN, et al).

Then Mark Thomas started a day-long vigil at Peacock's Lake, Broom, with Matt Burgess for company for most of the morning. BAR-TAILED GODWITS were moving with firstly 11 east, followed by 26 NE, before the first of 2 GREY PLOVERS came through. The second proved more obliging and stayed long enough in the adjacent soil field to the west to allow LGRE, BC, LC, MJP, JG, Mark Ward and SCB to connect. A drake and two female GREATER SCAUP dropped in late afternoon, followed by a WHIMBREL briefly.

At around lunchtime, Richard Bashford found an adult KITTIWAKE on floodmeadows at Begwary Brook, Wyboston, but it had already gone 10 minutes later when LGRE visited. A cracking summer-plumaged BAR-TAILED GODWIT made up for it, showing very well on Derek White's (JG et al). Five ARCTIC TERNS were also there (LGRE).

Meanwhile, at Gypsy Lane East Pits, Broom, 5 DUNLIN there were followed by 5 GREY PLOVERS and a flock of 32 BAR-TAILED GODWITS (MJP) with BLACK TERNS at Cainhoe (Peter Soper) and Brogborough (Neil Wright), with the first-summer LITTLE GULL still at the latter site (MJP, NW).

Late on, a female WHINCHAT was by the middle track at Blows Downs (Rob Dazley, LC, BC, LGRE)

Wednesday 02 May: Birds galore - KITTIWAKES, TURNSTONE, WHINCHATS, PURPLE HERON

Without doubt, bird of the day was a first-summer PURPLE HERON that Mark Thomas picked up flying SE over Peacocks Lake, Broom, at 1857 hours; Jim Gurney managed to just get onto it too after a hasty call from MT

Meanwhile, early on, Stewartby Lake had been the place to be, with 2 adult KITTIWAKES present from 0650-0800 hours (Keith Owen, Chris Dreary), the drake COMMON SCOTER, the continuing SLAV, a nice summer-plumaged SANDERLING on the slipway (KO et al) (flew off just before midday) and a first-summer LITTLE GULL briefly (KO) (which relocated to Brogborough - Dave Odell).

Returning to Broom GP, Mark Thomas found a summer-plumaged TURNSTONE on Peacock's Lake, with DUNLIN numbers at Gypsy Lane East increasing from 4 to 13 by the end of the day (Matt Burgess, SCB, et al). A male WHITE WAGTAIL also appeared there, with 6 BLACK-TAILED GODWITS north through Peacock's at 2034 hours (SCB).

Martin Palmer discovered 3 SANDWICH TERNS at Stewartby lake at 1145 hours, these remaining for about 20 minutes before flying off, with 3 ARCTIC TERNS at Derek White's later (SCB). Another TURNSTONE appeared at Millbrook Pillinge early afternoon (Dave Ball et al), with 5 Northern Wheatears and a female WHINCHAT at Poppy Hill Farm Paddocks at Langford (TL 191 397) (Roger Hicks; Andy & Melissa Banthorpe)

Tuesday 01 May

Steve Blain noted the drake COMMON SCOTER, SLAVONIAN GREBE and 6 ARCTIC TERNS on Stewartby Lake, with a COMMON GREENSHANK and first-summer MEDITERRANEAN GULL on Millbrook Pillinge

Early on, David Kramer had 3 ARCTIC TERNS at Priory Country Park from 1430-1522, whilst an impressive 22 YELLOW WAGTAILS were counted at Radwell

In the evening, Keith Owen and Neil Wright had 8 BLACK TERNS briefly at Brogborough Lake, whilst MJP and Pip Housden the singing COMMON NIGHTINGALE and purring TURTLE DOVE in Scrapyard Corner, Stewartby