3rd May 2009

Blister reported seeing 5 terns and 2+ Sand Martins, as well as Swifts, Swallows and House Martins at Earlswood today.

Later, I managed a visit despite my one knee still being a little painful to move, as my mom had kindly offered to drop me off there (earlier I'd said to her that I wondered what unusual migrant birds I was missing at Earlswood). I got to the lakes at about 3:10 pm. Tern numbers had increased, with 9 Common Terns counted, with 7 Herring Gulls and 2 House Martins also present. There was a dead Pike at Engine Pool's easternmost corner. Walking along the western side of Windmill Pool, I noted a resting Canada Goose pair with at least one gosling underneath. I did a reasonably good search of the scrubland to the south, and was rewarded with 3 Common Whitethroats. I'd wanted to search the SSSI and nature reserve woodlands, but was unable to.
M.P. Griffiths