31st March....

A juvenile Peregrine flew over the lagoons today, but otherwise it was very quiet.

Thursday produced the first Little Ringed Plover of the year, but it appeared the summer plumaged Red-throated Diver seen at midday, soon departed when the rain eased.

GW Year List: 91

24th March....

Having moved house this week, birding has taken a back seat..... but I was grateful when Jono rung with news of a Fulmar that he had just found! I saw it distantly from Mander around midday. This is around the 8th Fulmar I have seen at Grafham in just 10 years... quite remarkable for an inland site.

GW Year List: 89

12th March....

A chiffchaff and Goosander seen during an hour after work.....

GW Year List: 88

11th March....

Two visits during the day hardly raised any inspiration, with just a Common Sandpiper and a 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull being of note.

10th March....

No sign of Avocets today, and little else of note seen. Just across the Ouse Valley at Paxton Pits, c.2000 Black-tailed Gowdits were a very impressive sight, all sandwiched on to one island!

9th March....

Seeing three Avocets in the lagoons this evening was something of a relief - they had been seen briefly this morning, but disappeared! The same couldn't be said for the 14 Brent Geese also seen briefly this morning... as they seemed to have made a proper job of disappearing. This species is becoming something of a fleeting visitor to Grafham in the last few years (I have missed 4 "morning-only" sightings in several years now.)

GW Year List: 87

8th March....

Aside from the wintering Common Sandpiper, and an adult Yellow-legged Gull, the only notable bird during the last hour of light today, was a "that could be a candidate for a fuscus-type Gull". It was very small in size, with a small head, very long primary projection, with white tips just visible on several feathers, low in the water, and jet black looking on the mantle (same colour as primaries) - there were many intermedius and a few graellsii near-by for comparison.... if only there was a sure-fire way to ID them!