Great Bustard Tour 21st March

The weather was mild, sunny and fine! Highlights were Great Bustard, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Brimstone butterfly.

11 of us met at Enford and awaited the jeep to take the first group off on the Great Bustard Tour. As we waited a Little Egret flew over us. While they were on the tour, group 2 had a walk around the downs on footpaths. After 2 hours we swapped places.
The Bustard tour was a success in that each group saw one Great Bustard and the second group saw it displaying. Both groups also saw plenty of Skylarks. Each group spent a while watching the Bustard and details of the introduction scheme were explained by the lady who led the tours.
The walkers had success too. The first group saw Corn Buntings, Skylarks, Buzzards and Kestrel among others and the second group saw Yellowhammer, Skylarks and Buzzards. We all saw Brimstone butterfly, most of us saw a Comma butterfly and a few people saw a Red Admiral and a Small Tortoiseshell.
A short walk in a different area of Salisbury Plain was pretty unproductive with just a few Meadow Pipits seen and a Yellowhammer heard singing. However Tom did find some Toads mating in a pool!
Simon Curson