A perfect morning , clear blue skies , a slight breeze , just perfect. Willow woke me up at 6.30am so I was out early. By the looks of it there had been a shower overnight ,had there been a few migrants brought down ? .
There were a few more Blackcaps around today with 9 been seen or heard and Chiffchaffs were slightly down with 5 . The Willow Warbler was singing again near the cottage but I think it will move on soon. Whitethroats remain at a static 5 , all singing from the hedges .
The good weather brought the sound of a Cuckoo calling from the direction of the river meadows . It was then things started hotting up when I discovered a superb male Whinchat on a patch of rough ground , number 70 for the patch for this year.
I had already passed some fields looking for Wheatears without success but on passing the same field there 2 fine males present , showing that birds were on the move, a little further on and another 3 males were found in another field .
Other birds moving north overhead were a trickle of 6 Swallow and a single House Martin , also a rather late Meadow Pipit , the first for quite a while .
On the pastures were at least 9 Skylarks were in fine voice ,and 3 Red Legged Partridge were dotted about . I managed to see a Yellowhammer as it disappeared over the hedges and I heard a Bullfinch calling from a hedge somewhere .I am always looking for Bullfinches now ,as there is a fan who reads this rubbish !
The best of the rest were 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Pied Wagtail , Stock Dove , Moorhen , Greater Spotted Woodpecker .
The morning finished with 3 Buzzards over the cottage calling to each other .
The patch count stands at 70 .
