Warbler Trio

 Alan Shorrock and I paid a morning visit to Stanwick Lakes today beginning our session at the A45 pit. With mostly grey skies and a cool north easterly breeze conditions were certainly less pleasant than they have been of late but at least it stayed dry.

Distant Cattle Egrets and Great White Egret

First bird to catch our attention was a singing Reed Warbler, my first of the year, which could just about be heard over the constant screeching of the Black-headed Gulls. Several other Reed Warblers were heard around the site and it's beginning to look as if most of our migrant warblers have now arrived. Alan spotted a Great White Egret in flight over the lake and either this or another was seen a little later on. We made our way towards the main lake where a small herd of cows had attracted five Cattle Egrets. They were always distant as was my first Common Sandpiper of the year on the shore opposite  the screen hide. From the nearby Treehouse Hide the long staying Glossy Ibis showed pretty well by its standards and we were treated to some prolonged and sometimes half decent views. Not too much else was seen though a Water Rail was heard calling a few times from the reed bed close to the main lake and a Cuckoo was heard close to the A45 pit.

Glossy Ibis

Our plan after Stanwick was to visit Twywell Hills and Dales and signs of a break in the clouds suggested that it might still be worth a look. Our search for spring butterflies sadly drew a blank and the strong breeze may well have been a factor, I'm hoping that a visit to Priors Hall tomorrow may be more productive. If the butterflies weren't flying at least the warblers were warbling and I added both Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroats to my year list. One thing that I didn't much like about this site which I hadn't visited before was the number of mutts being dragged around by their owners. One couple had nine dogs with them - nine! Poochy paradise it may well be but it's likely to be a long time before I darken it's doors again. A quick pint in Woodford was a good way to finish the day before heading off home.

Well at least it wasn't a dog! Highland cow at Twywell