Spring arrives to Beddington Farmlands

A pretty good day at the farmlands with my first summer migrants for the London patch with  Little Ringed Plover and Curlew sound recorded at night over the obs and we had 2 Sand Martins going north today. Sound recordings and Ebird list HERE. Also had a steady passage of Meadow Pipit, about 65 by the end of the day. Unfortunately no Wheatears yet.

Also had Barn Owl on the night recording about 10 calls of Redwing going over but no Common Scoters yet even though they have been recorded at Surrey and Sussex sites and there have been thousands going over Derbyshire. Check out this epic night of noc migging HERE

The moth trap was pretty quiet- 4 Small Quakers, a Twin Spot Quaker and a Common Clothes Moth.

 Sand Martin- the lead runner into Beddington Farmlands 

 Meadow Pipits - there was a steady movement of up to 65 today, mostly moving northwest with 20+ on the mound also. Mipits winter from Britain and central Europe south to the Mediterranean and North Africa  so this Spring migration mainly involves birds from Iberia but could also involve birds coming up from Morrocco where in winter they occur in enormous numbers according to the BTO Migration Atlas. 

The large white headed gull featured yesterday decided to give up it's wing tip pattern today- does look like a Northern Herring Gull with extensive white in the wing with black in the wing tip extending only to p6 and large white tongues and tongue tips.