Migrants AT LAST !

I have not given the patch much love recently , cheating on it with Linford and Willen ! So I thought a dedicated search for Warblers was in order and walked the entire lake circuit , taking just over an hour

at least 9 BLACKCAP territories were noted with at least 2 females seen , 5 singing CHIFFCHAFFS and 3 Singing WILLOW WARBLERS was the tally ...... very poor show for the Acros ! Still no Sedge or Reed in , i was just heading back to the car when i thought i would give the scrubby reedbed a go - bang ! Scratchy song revealed a Male COMMON WHITETHROAT ( YT - 66 )

Other birds were a KINGFISHER ( carrying a fish , so presumably breeding along the river somewhere ? ) and 3 BULLFINCHES

a drive by @ the Flood Plain produced the first BARN SWALLOW ( YT-67 ) tacking north in a rain shower and frustratingly what was a probable Redstart seen at some distance diving into a tree , 5 minutes of staring produced nothing more , so the one that got away .... ( I had to rush off and see a Barshank, so no time to search ! )