Monday May 1

The morning was cloudy after overnight rain, with a few showers, but not as many as feared, and some sunny intervals later. a very light easterly breeze.

I was hopeful that the weather might have stirred things up a bit so I made straight for the flash field. Before I got there though, I discovered that the Grasshopper Warbler was again singing well from the hedge bordering the pool. I got to within five metres of it, but only managed to see it twice.

Spot the Gropper

Once I reached the flash field my initial reaction was one of disappointment. Yesterday's Curlew and Dunlins have been replaced by two Shelducks and two Gadwall. A single Little Ringed Plover was the only wader apart from a few pairs of Lapwings, although the chick was still alive.

I set off along the hedge hearing a hooting Tawny Owl from near the Kingfisher Pool (an unusual locality) and eventually counting four Wheatears in the ploughed field. A Willow Warbler has taken up a territory in Stapenhill Wood and was showing well for a change.

Willow Warbler

The value of doing two circuits was proved when I returned to the flash field. Initially it looked the same, except that the Little Ringed Plover had come to the closest flash. Then one of the two Black-headed Gulls flew from the furthest flash calling loudly and land on the near flash next to a Greenshank. The latter must have snuck when I was looking elsewhere, only the second spring Greenshank I have seen here.

Greenshank

I had hardly had time to text the news out when I noticed a Little Egret striding out of the long vegetation on the furthest flash. I hung on for a while longer but eventually decided that nothing else was going to show up, although the resident Little Owl did put in a brief appearance.

The route back was enlivened by another game of hide and seek with the Grasshopper Warbler, and my first Cuckoo of the year which called once ( and later three times from beyond Netherstead). I didn't manage to see it or the Yellow Wagtail which flew over the ploughed field.

I love migration time.