Royston Wildlife Blog: UK Wildlife Sightings May 2022

I made my first visit of the year to Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits on the morning of the 2nd. At least five garden warblers were singing as I made my way round the main pit and a couple of reed warblers showed well. I heard a distant cuckoo.

Garden Warbler, Tyttenhanger, 2 May

On the 5th I travelled over to Thornham, hoping to see the seven dotterel that had been reported earlier in the day. However, those of us who spent a lot of time looking in the fields where they had last been seen came away disappointed. I also made a quick visit to Thornham Harbour, where highlights included a pair of whimbrel, some summer-plumaged ruff and a fairly obliging male wheatear (a wheatear was also seen near to where the dotterel had been reported).

Wheatear on Marker Post, Thornham Harbour, 5 May

Two Whimbrel, Thornham Harbour, 5 May

My annual visit to Bison Hill (Whipsnade) on the 6th to see some of our rarer early season butterflies was rewarded with good views of Duke of Burgundy, dingy skipper, grizzled skipper and green hairstreak.

Dingy Skipper, Bison Hill, 6 May

Duke of Burgundy, Bison Hill, 6 May

Grizzled Skipper, Bison Hill, 6 May

I visited RSPB Minsmere twice in the middle of the month, doing a reconnaissance trip on the 11th for an RSPB trip that I was leading on the 15th. On the first visit I saw four of the resident glossy ibises and added little tern and kittiwake to my UK year list. Unfortunately the little terns were not there for the RSPB Local Group visit, but we did see two curlew sandpipers and lots of bitterns (or the same bitterns making regular flights!) and hobbies. At least two glossy ibises were still present.

Overhead Bittern, RSPB Minsmere, 15 May

Hobby in Flight, RSPB Minsmere, 15 May

Singing Sedge Warbler, RSPB Minsmere, 11 May

Turnstone in Summer Plumage, RSPB Minsmere, 11 May

Sandwiched in between these trips was a visit to Thursley Common (Surrey) on the 13th. I was hoping to see and photograph 'Colin the Cuckoo' for the third consecutive year, but he was rather tardy in showing up (he did eventually appear), so I settled for wandering around the heathland on a hot morning, seeing and photographing woodlarks (several pairs were present), redstarts and various dragonflies.

Male Woodlark Singing, Thursley Common, 13 May

A visit to Rutland Water on the 19th to see the nesting ospreys at the Lyndon Reserve was enlivened by watching a common tern desperately trying to catch a fish to present to (presumably) his partner, who was calling the whole time whilst sitting on a post near the hide from where the osprey nest (and ospreys) could be seen. After 30 minutes he still hadn't caught anything as I left and she was still calling....

Common Tern Hovering, Rutland Water, 19 May

Osprey in Flight, Rutland Water, 19 May

On the 22nd I suggested to my partner that we should visit The Wash coast and do a walk between Snettisham and Heacham. She usually knows if I have an ulterior motive for a visit, so she wasn't surprised to see quite a few bird watchers with telescopes heading the other way as we set off along the main path to Heacham from Snettisham village. They had been to see the great reed warblers that had taken up residence half way between the towns. One of the birds was quite showy, and I was able to get a few photos of him before we moved on. Later on the walk (which we both enjoyed!) there was the bonus of a purring turtle dove, a bird that is sadly declining to likely extinction as a UK breeding species.

Great Reed Warbler, Snettisham, 22 May

On the 27th I made my annual pilgrimage to Cutthroat Bridge in the Peak District. I was feeling under the weather so did a shorter walk than usual, but one that took in the main areas of bird watching interest. Once again, red grouse were hard to find although I did get a distant view of a single bird. However, tree pipits (which I didn't see here last year) were common, with males singing (mainly) from telegraph wires. I also saw male and female ring ouzels and a lovely male pied flycatcher. A spotted flycatcher was seen at the start of the walk and stonechats, curlews and cuckoos were seen and heard.