From around the middle of March post-work visits to the patch become possible due to the longer days, I made two visits this week on Tuesday 15th and Thursday 17th. It's a race against the setting sun to cover the patch completely as I have just over an hour of workable daylight by the time I arrive. The most notable difference between the two days was the fall in Common Teal numbers from 98 on the 15th to 63 on the 17th and a smaller fluctuation in Tufted Duck numbers from 44 on the 15th to 38 on the 17th; in the case of the Tufted Duck I think it's just local movement and I fully expect numbers to rise again before seriously dropping off as the birds pair up and move off to their breeding sites; but I think the Common Teal are definitely moving out, most birds are paired up and lots of displaying is apparent. Six Shelduck were noted on the 15th but only two on the 17th, these birds are very flighty at the moment, no doubt propecting for nest sites, and the drakes are very aggressive towards other species. The Water Rail that has been giving me the runaround since early January was seen on both dates, preening in front of the western reedbed at dusk. Two Common Sandpipers were seen on the 15th with with two Redshank noted on the 17th, finally the only year tick was a Meadow Pipit flying east on the 15th.
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