In all, 19 species  - four more than last March which was no slouch - were added to the year list which now stands at 101. This is well ahead of last year's 93 and also the previous three years but still behind 2018's rarity-filled 107. Among the obvious gaps are wigeon which may now have to wait until the autumn to be seen but redshank and dunlin are expected any day.    

After a couple of weeks at their northern home at Fisher's Green, barnacle geese returned to the Wetlands with seven on the 19th and 13 on the 23rd. Two or three including what seems likely to be the bird ringed last year then took up residence with behaviour which suggests breeding might happen again. Four or five pair of shelduck also seem to be getting ready noisily to breed so let's hope they - like the barnacle geese - don't lose all their young again to predation as both species did last year. 

Mandarin - given they are resident nearby and the Wetlands seems to have the right habitat - should be far commoner than they are. But if past years are any guide, the smart drake found by P & TR on No 1 in rain on the 28th may be the only record in 2023. Late March does, however, seem to be the best time to look as last year's sole appearance was just a day later. It also very much lived up to tradition by disappearing as quickly and mysteriously as it arrived. A few shoveler and teal remained throughout the month as did the long-staying drake scaup which moved home from No 4 to East Warwick where it showed ridiculously well.   

The scaup may even have out-lasted goldeneye with the five birds seen at the beginning of the month gradually dwindling to just one pair which could not be found on the 31st. Last year all six winterers remained into April so the southerly airflow and warmer temperatures may also have encouraged them to move on. The last goosander was seen on the 15th, three days later than the final record in 2022. 

After a stay of 106 days during which it attracted a steady procession of admirers, the Wetland's celebrity great white egret finally departed on the morning of the 7th. It is, by far, the longest period the species has stayed at the Wetlands and raises hopes that they may join Little Egret in nesting here in the years to come. Far less exciting but new for the year was the pheasant found on the 16th with birds seen regularly until the end of the month.      

It was a very good month for large raptors with the definite highlight the first osprey since the autumn of 2020. LB, scanning from his loft window overlooking Lockwood on the 29th, was alerted to it by the alarm call of worried gulls. He managed to snatch a couple of photographs as it continued west despite having to run downstairs to grab his camera. March also saw a marsh harrier, seen separately by RW and DCo, fly north over the Wetlands on the 3rd, It is another species which was not recorded at all last year. Single red kites were seen on the 5th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 27th with buzzards on the 2nd and 26th with at least three on the 27th. 

Eight species of waders -  three fewer than last year - were seen but they included some scarce species. The second oystercatcher of the year was found on No 4 on 28th and stayed until the 30th. A single lapwing was seen on the 7th with two more on the 27th. Despite seemingly good conditions, the only little ringed plover was seen on the 20th on Lockwood which contrasted with regular records last year after the first on the 18th. A curlew which came off Lockwood on the 16th - 11 days later than the first last year - flew around around the site before departing. The annual woodcock on the 6th was not so obliging, flying over Lockwood before diving into cover on Tottenham Marsh.

But for the wader-fest in December when up to four were seen daily, the jack snipe found on the 2nd would have caused far more excitement. It stayed faithful, when water levels weren't too high, to the channel in the No 1 reed-bed until the 7th although it could be a devil to pick out even when you knew were it was. Presumably the same bird was seen to fly in to the reed-bed on the 12th. Common snipe was seen on the 1st, 3rd and 11th while the only record of green sandpiper was on the 8th. This was a better showing than common sandpiper, a regular winterer, which has yet to be seen at all this year while this was the first March since 2019 without an Avocet being recorded.     

Given the panic a rarity can induce, RE showed admirable calmness in picking out a 1W kittiwake among all the Black-heads on East Warwick as he rushed round to see the alpine swift on the 26th. Once a very scarce bird at the Wetlands, it seems to be getting commoner here with records in the last three years compared to just two in the previous ten. It clearly found East Warwick to its liking as it stayed into April. Also becoming commoner are barn owls with the bird found by CF on the 9th the third month in the last four the species has been seen on the south side of the site. 

Alpine swift was high on the list of rarities expected to make an appearance at the Wetlands and, with an unprecedented influx from mid-month seeing birds recorded as close as Fisher's Green, plenty of time was spent gazing at the sky in vain. The wait was ended when JR, the Wetlands manager, found a swift feeding over the Coppermill Tower when she opened up the reserve on the 26th. Although without her binoculars, she managed to  capture a video with her phone which, when shared, saw a stampede of regulars heading from all points to the Wetlands. LB arrived first and was able to confirm the Wetlands' second ever Alpine Swift and the first since June 1980. 

It was also the rarest bird to turn up at the Wetlands since 2018 and, having kindly arrived on a Sunday, attracted birders from far afield as it fed high over the south end of the complex. It was still around next morning but, after going even higher than usual around 1330,  disappeared north east and was not seen again.   

The southerly airflow also sped up migration of its more common cousins. The first swallow was seen on the 20th - nine days earlier than last year - with singles on four other days. A sand martin arrived on the 11th - two days earlier than last year - with 20 feeding over the reservoirs in heavy rain by the 17th. And an early house martin joined the sand martin flock over West Warwick on the 31st with the first not seen last year until April 8th.

More expected were the first skylarks of the year on the 13th, 20th and 22nd. Chiffchaff and blackcap numbers built up with singing birds from mid-month. They included a Siberian chiffchaff in full song found by CF on the 27th. Willow warblers were also ahead of schedule with the first on the 28th and four on the 30th while none were seen last March.  

Ring ouzel is just about annual at the Wetlands but usually lives up to its reputation for being wary. This was eventually not the case with the cracking male found by PR on the 30th which became more showy as the day went on. While the ouzel was making its way from its winter quarters north, the odd wintering redwing and fieldfare still remained at the end of the month.

After a good movement of stonechat last month, March saw another pulse of migrants with six on the 10th, five on the 14th  and a single on the 24th. Spring does not really start until the first wheatear arrives. LB won the prize for finding the first on Lockwood on the 14th - eight days earlier than last year - on a day when birds appeared across London. There were also sightings on seven following days with three on the 29th.  

Rock Pipit is a regular Autumn visitor to the Wetlands but only occasional in Spring. This month, however, saw an unusually strong  passage. After the first on the 6th on the No4/5 causeway, birds were seen daily until the 14th. Two were seen together on both the 12th and 14th but photographs show that at least four individuals birds passed through. Brambling is also a scarce but regular visitor in Spring with CF finding a male at the south end of No 3 on the 28th. At least one siskin, another species which should appear more often, was seen feeding in alders on West Warwick and the Coppermill on the 30th.  

DB @porthkillier