Avocet #40

Whilst some parts of the country have had a flurry of snow today, we have been enjoying some sunny intervals this afternoon at Lunt Meadows. It was a chilly wind, but so nice in the sunshine. 
There are lots of geese and black-headed gulls along with the other usual suspects, but it was nice to see the avocets back and looking for good nesting sites. 
Since the flood last year, lots of work has been done onsite to create more scrapes and habitats for the birds which in turn has meant that the main scrape has become less congested for the gulls. However, as the avocets like to nest near the BHGs as there is safety in numbers, they are apparently not yet settled on a nest site. There is a concern that they might end up going to Seaforth or Marshside if they don't feel confident. Their numbers have been fluctuating over the past couple of weeks.   I so hope that at least some of them stay and breed successfully.