June 2025
After a productive May on the birding front, inevitably June would see the quieter spell develop as the passage period has now passed. However, you do begin to signs of the post-breeding movements and gatherings of some birds. Lapwings and Black-headed gulls, including some juvenile birds start reappearing at Ardley and utilise the now very water-depleted lagoon. It went from deep to a puddle in a few weeks since the sluice gate was opened. Green sandpipers also arrived back mid-month and hopefully their numbers will grow in the coming months as they tend to do at Ardley. A drake Teal mid-month also showed there are birds on the move and something unusual may turn up. A Short-eared owl and the mystery Canvasback were June birds in 2024 at Ardley so it's still worth the effort I think. The only new bird for the year list at Ardley this month was another patch tick in the form of a Cuckoo. It's one I've half expected at some point but all the same a very good patch bird. I ju...