Thursday May 7

It may be tempting fate, but two days before the big list day I went to the patch to see what was there. It was sunny at first, but then big clouds rolled in and I just about completed a circuit before the rain started.

I tend to think of May as a month when passage waders are a possibility, but all the passerines will have gone through, so I was pleased to start with a passerine year-tick in the form of an unseen singing Reed Warbler. Strangely it was singing from the hedgerow, the nearby reedbed being hogged by a showy Sedge Warbler.

At this point I noticed that engineers were preparing to plant a new telegraph pole, and I groaned inwardly at the prospect. So when one of them walked up to apologise for the disruption and to offer to go away and do it another day, I had a golden opportunity to confirm I would like them to desist. So I said "no its fine, you carry right on" Doh!

Actually they weren't really affecting my day, and I walked on towards the pool where I was very pleased to see that a Little Grebe was back. Potentially good for the big day, and also on my list of birds I want to sketch.

That done, I moved on. The next passerine surprise was a female Whinchat in the ploughed field. I got a record shot before it seemingly disappeared.

Whinchat

The flashes were to prove a disappointment, particularly because the Teal seem to have gone. Just the standard Redshank and Little Ringed Plover were present. However, passerines were to save the day, so read on.

A Sand Martin joined Swallows over the pool, and a few Swifts flew by. Then I reached the far end of the ploughed field and was surprised to discover four Wheatears, two males and two females.

A female Wheatear

So Wheatears are still moving then. Finally as I reached the brow of the hill overlooking Stapenhill Wood the day's star bird burst into song. A Garden Warbler, only my third record for the patch was singing from the thicket. I didn't expect to see it, but as I scanned through the chicken wire of the Pheasant enclosure a movement caught my eye, and there it was.

Garden Warbler

I don't know why we don't get more of these, the thicket at Stapenhill Wood looks ideal, but so far they remain a scarce passage migrant here.

I just hope I haven't blown all my luck ahead of Saturday.