Now it starts

In amongst the heavy showers I took alook around Gayhurst Quarry this morning to see if any wader migration was taking place yet.
 I was not disappointed as I found 5 species around the site.
On Fishing Pit there were the usual Lapwings with a few well grown juveniles amongst their numbers. I had scanned the whole lake, seeing a few Coot, Mallard and Great-crested Grebe, when I noticed a Little-ringed Plover on the nearest exposed mud spit. Looking closer this became 2, then 5 and finally 7 - easily a site record as I had only ever seen the odd ones and twos here. They were all adults and amongst them was a Common Sandpiper so I would guess they were all returning migrants.
 The Swans on Spinney Pit have finally given up on their eggs and the family of Great-crested Grebes are still doing well.
 The Motorway Pit Mutes have now relocated to Reedy Pit with their surviving 2 young and these are growing fast. It was here that I noticed another small wader picking around the mud - a Green Sandpiper.
 Motorway Pit was alive with birds, very noticeably Common Terns, which seem to have had a very good year. I counted a minimum of 26 juveniles, most of which are flying around. It was here that I spotted yet another Little-ringed Plover, but my biggest surprise was the Oystercatchers. I had presumed they hadn't bred this year as I kept seeing two birds at opposite ends of the site, but was very pleased to see two adult birds on the edge of the island and then two fluffy balls appeared out of the grass. There were at least 5 Little Egrets around and another pair of Great-crested Grebes with their stripey hitchhikers.

 Up at Quarryhall, there was a lot of chirpinng coming from the bushes and closer inspection revealed probably a dozen Tree Sparrows, including several young birds. Also seen here were Linnets, Yellowhammer, Skylarks, Reed Buntings and Stock doves.
 A pair of ears kept popping up out of the Oatfield and eventually these revealed them to belong to a Roe Deer.