Holmethorpe Sand Pits ... Wednesday 31st March 2010

Arriving at my local patch at about 8 a.m., in drizzly and breezy conditions and with the temperature definitely on the chilly side, I was not expecting to find much in the way of migrants.

Fifteen Sand Martins were skimming over one of the pits and I noticed a white rump amongst them belonging to the first local House Martin seen this year. The birds were often perching on the twiggy branches of a partially submerged small willow in the middle of the pit.



Soon I was joined by local patch birder Jerry and we scanned the Sand Martins, which had been joined by 4 Swallows, but we could not relocate the House Martin.

We slipped and slid our way along the muddy path of the north bank of Mercers Lake but, apart from a couple of singing Chiffchaffs, there was little of note.

At Mercers Farm, around 50 Stock Doves and a male Pheasant were feeding on the field and, as we headed towards Spynes Mere, an Egyptian Goose flew east. A couple of Swallows were feeding over Mercers West Pit but these may have been two of the birds seen earlier.

Heading back towards Mercers Lake in the drizzle, we heard a singing Willow Warbler, another local first for the year.

With two more species added to the Holmethorpe year list, which now stands at 102 species, we called it a day.

Graham