Monday 30th April

It was a gorgeous sunny morning between 6am and 7.15am, and there was a gentle north-easterly blowing. It had been a clear night and there was a chance migrants could have dropped in.

A Nightingale sang along Laurel Walk in the same place as the one on Saturday – perhaps this is the same one? Even so, I was a fantastic sound to hear first thing in the morning. 5 Blackcaps sang also sang along Laurel Walk, a Chiff Chaff sang from behind the Park & Ride and another sang from the Wet Woodland.

In the area in front of Mote House, a Willow Warbler sang from one of the Oaks, and of note in the ’Long Hedge’ was 1 singing Chiff Chaff.

A scan of the Lake produced 8 Great Crested Grebes – including the 4 on the ‘Grebe Island’, and there only 4 Mute Swans, together with the usual Canada Geese, Mallard, Coots and Moorhens. There were around 7 Black Headed Gulls flying above the water with 1 Common Gull, and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew onto the Lake. A Reed Warbler and a Whitethroat sang from the Lake’s western edge.

A Cormorant sat on ‘Cormorant Island’, and 2 Reed Warblers sang from within the Marsh. A Grey Heron fished on the western edge of the Lake. A Garden Warbler – the first of the year – and 2 Blackcaps sang from the Hedge next to the Spring, giving good comparisons. 2 Whitethroats sang from the Pitch & Putt, a Pheasant called and 2 Whitethroats sang from the Meadow, and of note in the ‘Scrub’ were 8 Whitethroats. A Chiff Chaff sang from ‘Len Wood’, and a Whitethroat sang from the Meadow next to the Old Bothy. 2 Chiff Chaffs sang from the Hedge east of the Meadow, and whilst walking in front of Mote House a Cuckoo called from the Long Valley – another first for the year.

A total of 6 Chiff Chaffs, 10 Blackcaps, 3 Reed Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 13 Whitethroats and a 1 Garden Warbler were singing throughout the visit, and 2 Green Woodpeckers were seen – 1 on Jenner’s Bank and another in the Meadow.