Eakring Bird news
May 2008
Featuring news and sightings from Eakring
 
May 1st
Still very quiet in the area. The Grasshopper Warbler was again at Eakring Flash and there were few overnight warbler arrivals.
     
May 2nd
A pair of Turtle Dove were along the old hedge at Eakring Flash early morning. Very few warblers arrived and there were just a few Sand Martin and Swallow moving through.
     
May 3rd
Just a handful of migrants moving through this morning, but better numbers of warblers arrived overnight. A pair of Turtle Dove were at the Oil Bore Holes site on the edge of Eakring village.
     
May 10th
Two Oystercatchers were the highlight of a quiet morning, present in a set-aside field in the Red Hill area. A trickle of Swallows flew north-west throughout the morning and still at least one Grasshopper Warbler at Eakring Flash.
     
May 11th
Extremely quiet throughout the area again this morning. A handful of new warblers arrived overnight, including two Whitethroat, single Garden Warbler at Red Hill and a Sedge Warbler at Eakring Flash. Just eight Swallows were noted moving through.
     
May 13th
Still very quiet, but a Barn Owl at a site in the area, flew past within a few feet late evening. 28 Lapwing were at Tug Bridge Farm, part of a record number of breeding birds in the area this year.
     
May 15th
A small overnight arrival of warblers in the Eakring Flash area this morning, included a Reed Warbler, two Sedge Warblers, a Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler. Still at least one Grasshopper Warbler at Eakring Flash, but this bird has been very quiet of late and is rarely heard for any length of time.

An Oystercatcher flew over and circled around Eakring Flash early morning, before flying off south-west, but the surprise of the morning was the Long-eared Owl, that flew out of Hawthorns there and into dense cover at 07:15h.

 
     
May 18th
The male Reed Warbler was still at Eakring Flash this evening. Three Turtle Dove were near Eakring Field Farm briefly and a Barn Owl was again showing well at another location in the area.
     
May 20th
A new species for the area this evening, coming during a short moth trapping session at Lound Wood, when a Nightjar flew over the wood and headed off south-west at 23:15h. The bird was obviously migrating and called four times times at regular intervals as it flew over, each time producing a slightly unusually toned short 'churr'.
     
May 22nd
Now two male Reed Warblers at Eakring Flash, following the arrival of a second bird overnight. There was also another new Sedge Warbler there and two Grasshopper Warblers remained. Another Grasshopper Warbler sang briefly late evening from Oil-seed Rape at Tug Bridge Farm and is thought likely to be the same bird present on April 27th. Small numbers of House Martins and Swifts flew north and north-east.

Highlight of the morning though, was yet another Roe Deer sighting, the fourth such record this year.

     
May 25th
A fairly quiet morning again, but the Long-eared Owl was seen again at Eakring Flash. A third Reed Warbler arrived overnight and small numbers of House Martin continue to move through.
     
May 28th
An extremely late Common Sandpiper flew over Lound Wood calling at 21:55h and seemingly heading north. It is possible that it may have spent the day at Eakring Flash, but there was no daytime visit to confirm this.
     
May 29th
Still three male Reed Warblers singing at Eakring Flash this morning and a pair of Grasshopper Warblers feeding young there, with another male once again reeling at Penny Pasture Common, now that the cattle have been removed. Other birds seen this morning included a pair of Turtle Dove at Eakring Flash briefly and a Barn Owl at another site.
 
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