Grafham Water - 14 May 2013

A very fresh morning with cold south-westerly winds and clear skies, cloud increasing during the day with heavy showers in the afternoon. 

From 06.30 - 10.00 covered the dam and lagoons areas with a return visit to the dam and Mander viewpoints from 3.00 - 4.30.

A quiet morning with just 1 Dunlin on the dam, 1 third calendar year Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Avocet on the lagoons, 1 female Wheatear on the dam and c 50 Swifts. 

The afternoon showers brought in Swifts with c400 present and hirundines with c 260 Swallows and c 150 House Martins. A  Sanderling had joined the Dunlin on the dam and 2 Whimbrel flew through high north-east. A single Arctic Tern was off Mander and just two Common Terns were present.

Sanderling 

Common Swift