March & April
Birds to look out for in March/April
1. Winter Thrushes – should be getting return passage birds
- Redwing
- Fieldfare
2. Finches
- Brambling – coming into gardens now
- Siskin – should be coming into gardens now
- Redpoll
- Linnet – note flock size
3. Warblers
- Chiffchaff – Expect to hear first birds before next indoor meeting
- Blackcap
- Sedge Warbler
4. Wagtails
- Yellow Wagtail – mainly from mid / end-April
- Grey Wagtails – now setting up breeding territories. All records please
5. Hirundines
- Sand Martin – first birds are being recorded in UK
- Swallow – mainly from mid / end-April
- House Martin – mainly from mid / end-April
6. Ducks and Geese
- Shelduck – now moving back inland to breed
- Goosander – moving back to breeding areas soon, record last sightings
- Wigeon
- Teal
- Shoveler
- Pochard
- Tufted Duck
- Goldeneye – returning to breeding areas soon, record last sightings
- Pintail – returning to breeding areas soon, record last sightings
- Pink-footed Geese – returning to breeding areas, record last sightings
7. Waders
- Oystercatcher – now moving back inland to breed
- Golden Plover- returning to breeding areas, record last sightings
- Lapwing – Note any breeding records
- Green Sandpiper – passage birds should be present from now on
- Common Sandpiper – passage birds should be present from mid-April
- Redshank – Note any breeding records
- Snipe – Note any breeding records
8. Gulls
- Record flock sizes and species
9. Woodpeckers
- Great Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are far easier to find during March before the leaves come on the trees
10. Mainly on coast
- Waxwings
- Brent Geese
- Common and Velvet Scoter
- Eider
- Scaup
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Knot
- Grey Plover
- Turnstone
- Dunlin
- Ruff
- Curlew
- Divers
- Grebes
11. Raptors
- Sparrowhawk – Display during March
- Goshawk – Display during March
- Buzzard
- Hen Harrier
- Marsh Harrier – returning to breeding sites
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