Shustoke Reservoir.

Lovely morning birdwatching at Shustoke Reservoir where I was again blessed with mainly clear blue skies.

I didn't think I'd top what I first saw but unbelievably I did, when I had just arrived at the Reservoir and was walking along the waters edge a bird flew up and at first I thought it was a Common Tern but to my surprise it was a Little Ringed Plover, what a great little bird to see and thankfully it came back down on the bank quite close for me to be able to observe it, then to fast forward a bit, when I was behind the fly fishers pool I could hear a male Blackcap singing and then noticed a female and then to my amazement there were a whole flock of juveniles, I was absolutely captivated watching them flying from branch to branch and chirping away, it was probably one of the best things I will see for a while.

On the reservoir there were five Mallard Ducklings, two from one family and three from another, one Coot on the nest while on the fly fishers pool there was a Mute Swan on the nest and a Coot. Above the water on the reservoir there were a sizeable number of Common Tern, Swift, Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow.

Birds seen today were, Buzzard, Blackcap, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Wren, Dunnock, Wren, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Sand Martin, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Common Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Canada Goose.

Just as exciting as all of the above was getting home and looking at the bug boxes in the garden and seeing lots of Mason Bees emerging, I hope they get busy pollinating the apples in my dwarf apple tree.