Tern up

Dave Leech made an impressive start to the year's Lakes listing but has been otherwise engaged with his own challenge of late, that of recording 300+ Reed Warbler nests! Despite spending most of his time swamped by Phragmites, Dave managed to see enough sky this evening to record something even more exciting than a Reed Warbler nest (in TEAL Cup terms anyway): Common Tern! A day short of 3 months after The Lodgers chalked this one up, species 131 is now on our list, and not a moment too soon - the possibility of this one escaping our clutches had been looming large. Nice one Dave!

[Picture below taken the following morning, proving that Dave still occasionally handles a juvvie Reed Warbler that does have feathers!]

Holly Warbler

There's a Reed Warbler singing in there...

While sorting through the moth trap this morning, Mark Gurney's ears were surprised to find a Reed Warbler singing from some holly in the Lodge gardens!  Certainly not a regular visitor to the Lodge, but most records have come from the gardens.  127.

Minor grip back

I walked down to the south-western extremity of the reserve this lunchtime, hoping to bag the Acros at Warren Villas NR. Sedge was available on arrival, the Cetti's was blasting away and I thought I could hear the slower-paced chuntering of a distant Reed, but couldn't be 100%, so it stays off for now.

Still, both Cetti's and Sedge were 'reserve ticks' for me. We move to 126.

White Bums for White Nuns

9 House Martin were over the Lakes at lunchtime, recorded by pretty much everyone who was out (John Marchant, Neil Calbrade, Andy Musgrove, Richard Thewlis, Chris Thaxter, Viola Ross-Smith, me), and taking the total to 112.

The first Reed Warbler of the year was singing in the reedbed for Chris Gregory earlier on (111). He also has another species recorded as a 'possible' from this morning; I won't say what it is for fear of cursing our chances of nailing it!

Talking (as Darren was) of rules, I'm beginning to wish we'd said 'on or over'; those flippin' ultra-distant waders are going to clinch it for The Lodgers at this rate.