On 7th Sarah and I went out for dinner and drank a little too much so I was not inclined to get up early on 8th May so we pottered out at around 11:00 down to Pennington Marsh with Tobias in tow. We did a very short walk at a slow pace out past Shoveler Pools along the seawall and back to the car park via Fishtail Lagoon. Two calling Mediterranean Gull appeared overhead Tobias said 'they're Black-headed Gull not a seagull, we don't say seagull do we' - spot-on, well almost! And then a displaying Lapwing overhead held his attention and span him in circles as it flew around us and he tried to follow. Wandering on there were five summer plumaged Great-crested Grebe on the sea and a few fly-by Common Tern and Sandwich Tern while two Common Tern courtship fed on the path. There was a good gathering of wader on the saltmarsh off Butts Lagoon with around 250 Dunlin, 30 Grey Plover, five Whimbrel and 15 Bar-tailed Godwit while a Spoonbill was on Fishtail Lagoon. Tobias was tired so it was time to head home but it was a nice couple of hours on the marshes.
Superb second summer Mediterranean Gull - Pennington Marsh
Reed Bunting - Butts Lagoon
Common Tern courtship feeding on the seawall, the male has a Three-spined Stickleback
Little Tern- Fishtail lagoon
Mute Swan - Fishtail Lagoon
Whitethroat - Old Landfill Pennington Marsh
