Sunny Barton.....19.03.2013.

2nd Calendar year Common Gull,Water's Edge CP.

Adult Black-headed Gull,Water's Edge CP.

Blue Tit,Water's Edge CP.

Singing male Reed Bunting,Water's Edge CP.

Roosting Redshank and Black-headed Gulls.

Female Bullfinch,Water's Edge CP.

Magpie,Far-Ings NNR.

Female Gadwall,Ness Lake,Far-Ings NNR.

Coot,Ness Lake,Far-Ings NNR.

A change of scenery today and a visit to Barton,saw some nice bits being seen and photographed.I started off the day by parking up at Water's Edge and walking all the way up to the sailing pit and back along the humber bank in some lovely,hazy,spring sunshine.Highlights included a single Jay,which was a nice surprise,male Brambling,Treecreeper and drumming male Great-spotted Woodpecker around Water's Edge and 10 Lesser Redpoll in How Hill car park feeding in the Alders there.There were still quite a few Goldeneye on the sailing pit,with at least 20 birds present.Also seen at Water's Edge was a single Water Vole,the first i have seen for ages.After a quick snack after parking up at the new visitor centre at the OPC pit,i covered all the area up to Chowder ness,along the edge of the new pits and around to Ness lake.Highlights on this side of the town included my first Avocets of the year,with 3 birds on the Pursuit pit and 4 birds flying east over Ness Lake,a really nice sight to see.Other niceities in the form of a 2nd calendar year male Marsh Harrier over Ness lake and some great views of the resident wildfowl,made for a very pleasant walk.At last after all the cold weather today,i managed to see my first Butterfly of the year in the form of a Small Tortoiseshell along the border of the reserve near to North meadow,a joy to see and it won't be long before iam watching my beloved Dragonflies.A very enjoyable few hours around my old stomping ground.