May 11th
We were up early this morning as we had decided to spent the day in Northern France. It began well when a Merlin sped down our road at 0550.
Once in France we decided to visit three areas close to Calais, firstly Marais de Guines where our highlights were 5 Marsh Warblers, 2 Savi's Warblers, 2 Willow Tits, 1 Honey Buzzard and 1 singing male White-spotted Bluethroat. After this we drove the short distance to Oye Plage and recorded 2 Garganey, 4 Black-winged Stilts, 1 singing Icterine Warbler, 3 Kentish Plovers, 1 White Stork flying W, 9 Spoonbills and 2 Black-necked Grebes. In the afternoon we drove to various sites in Foret de Clairmais and found 2 Short-toed Treecreepers, 2 Golden Orioles and 2 Serins. All in all a very pleasant day driving leisurely around the area and recording 107 species.

While we were in France, Barry Hunt spent a couple of hours in the area in the  morning. Highlights being a cracking male Whinchat at Chamber's Wall, a fairly late White Wagtail at the Towers, 1 Hobby, 4 Cuckoos, 3 "Greenland" Wheatears, 25 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Knot (160th) , 2 Whimbrel and 2 Dunlin.

White Wagtail - Barry Hunt