WARWICKSHIRE

ALVECOTE POOLS: The Great White Egret remained (to 2nd). There were two Whooper Swans, two Barnacle Geese, a Pink-footed Goose, 20 Little Egrets and a Jack Snipe. BRANDON MARSH: There were 25 Waxwings, a Bittern, Little Egret, Ringed Plover, five Oystercatchers, Great Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls, a Willow Tit, Raven, Red Kite and Peregrine. DRAYCOTE: A Red-necked Grebe and five Scaup remained throughout. A Smew was present for the first week. There was a Merlin, Peregrine, Curlew, Dunlin, Water Rail, 250 Golden Plovers and Caspian, Glaucous, Iceland, Mediterranean and Yellow-legged Gulls. EARLSWOOD: Water Rail, Stock Dove and Marsh Tit were the pick. MIDDLETON: Highlights included two Great White Egrets, a Bittern, 44 Little Egrets, a Raven and Scaup. MORTON BAGOT: There was a Marsh Tit, Jack Snipe, Peregrine, Barn Owl, two Green Sandpipers, two Redpolls, a Stonechat, a flock of Linnets and 200 Golden Plovers. TAME VALLEY: Coton Lake had a Scaup and Yellow-legged Gull. The Siberian Chiffchaff was again at Hams Hall at the start of the month. Kingsbury WP had a Curlew, Yellow-legged Gull, three Oystercatchers and 490 Shovelers. Two Bitterns, a Black-tailed Godwit, Pintail, Little Egret, Peregrine and Mandarin were at Ladywalk. OTHER SITES: There were 70 Golden Plovers and two Oystercatchers at Salford Priors. Eight Oystercatchers and an Egyptian Goose were at Dosthill. A Little Egret was at Warwick Racecourse. Forty Waxwings were at Wolston. Stonechats were at several sites. Oystercatchers had returned to their breeding grounds by the end of the month. Clare Topping