It was back out on the patch again and really it was more of the same although the cold north wind I think most birds stay  in cover.
 In the hedges were 6 Blackcap, a good count of least 7 plus Whitethroat including a male and female carrying food, just 3 Chiffchaff also with one carrying food .
 Overhead there were 9 plus House Martin, 6 plus Swallow and 2 Swift, also a candidate for a late migrant in the form of a summer plumage Black Headed Gull heading north , not a bird I see in the summer months normally.
From the distant river meadows a Curlew was once again calling and our pair of Yellow Wagtails were out and about.
Skylarks appear to be having a good year with at least 6 being heard or seen.
The best of the rest were 1 Red Legged Partridge, 3 Buzzard, 4 Stock Dove 20 plus Lesser Black Backed Gulls Greater Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Herring Gull.
 The patch list remains stubbornly static at the moment on 80

Out on the patch this morning , although it was not as early as I had wanted as I over slept ! Quite warm with a few clouds but a nagging north breeze.
Overhead 8 plus House Martins and 5 plus Swallow were feeding, local breeders from the village, Swallow numbers are down on last year.
Bird song has diminished somewhat or at least today it seemed to have and in the hedges were 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap and 6 Whitethroat.
A great surprise was a Curlew calling from the river meadows and the local pair of Yellow Wagtails were about .There was also a healthy show of Skylarks with at least 6 singing . There was also at least 3 Linnet over and a few more Goldfinch than of late.
 Around 15 Lesser Black Backed Gulls and 1 Herring Gull passed over north .
The best of the rest were a female Kestrel, 2 Buzzard, 2 Stock Dove, Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
Later on after an unsuccessful stake out of last years Spotted Flycatcher area, 2 Birds were in the hedge right next to the cottage, so maybe they have just moved some where else, although it has not been easy to observe the usual haunt as the field is full of a herd of ASBO cows who are given to charging at you

With the pressures of work it has been nearly a week since I covered the patch. Having read the Portland website and seen they had 800 to 1000 Spotted Flycatcher yesterday and was hopeful that I would be able to find our pair, but they still have not reappeared this year ,that is a real downer .
It was a great day , quite warm so I was hoping for a few late migrants.
In the hedges today were 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 7 Whitethroat , the Lesser Whitethroats seem to have moved on. .Raptors today were a Sparrowhawk, male Kestrel and a pair of Buzzard.
Overhead Swallows numbered 25 plus with 9 plus House Martin and a single Swift over.
It is good to report that we have a pair of Yellow Wagtail on the patch , great birds !  There were at least 4 singing Skylarks which is always good to hear.
The best of the rest were 7 Stock Dove, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Red Legged Partridge and a flock of 17 Lesser Black Backed gulls on pasture.  

Its been a few days since I walked the patch , so it was an early start to see what was about. A couple of hightlites when in the garden during the week were a calling Cuckoo and a few Swifts over.
Anyway back to today ,The first bird I saw was a a Sparrowhawk as it made a pass at a couple of Starlings.
In the hedges there were 7 Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap 4 Chffchaff, 1 singing Willow Warbler and it or another bird which looked like a Willow Warbler but sang with a Chiffchaff start but ended up as Willow Warbler,was this a Willow/Chaff  ?
Overhead we had 15 plus House Martins and 6 plus Swallow, also a Cormarant which headed upriver , also 3 Buzzard soaring.
It is nice to report up to 8 Linnets in the hedges , these birds are summer visitors here and dissappear in the  winter .A  Yellow wagtail called as it flew overhead.
The best of the rest were 7 Stock Dove, Kestrel, 5 Red Legged Partridge, a flock of 21 Lesser Black Backed Gull on a field, and at least 9 Skylark , 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Brown Hare

A few days away ,so Iwas looking forward to see if anything else had arrived or was passing through. Today was a holiday in Holland so I could get out on a Monday which is unsual. As it turned out one wanted guest appeared in the form of a calling Cuckoo our first of this year for the patch and an unexpected guest was found in the form of 4 Tufted Duck on a small pool on the edge of the patch ,again a year tick for the vicinity.
Warblers in the hedges were 3 Chiffchaff ,5 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler and 5 Whitethroat.Overhead 6 Swallow and  a high count so far this year of 20 plus House Martins and a Yellow Wagtail called as it passed over.
The best bird was a Whinchat that perched atop a hedge, cracking birds and nice to see as they pass on their way to the uplands to breed .
The best of the rest were 3 Red LeggedPartridge, 3 Stock Dove, 4 Skylark, 2 Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a late departing or early arriving Common Gull .
The patch list is now 80

After a few days absence due to work ,I got out onto the patch late afternoon . I went out with the intention of seeing if any Spotted Flycatchers had arrived , the good news is that they have , with 1 bird being seen in its usual haunt.
Warblers were quiet with just 3 each of Chiffchaff and Blackcaps about. Overhead it was great to see 140 plus Swift move north , also 1 Sand Martin and what appeared to be 5 local House Martin and 6 Local Swallow.
A fantastic Peregrine Falcon drifted north east and 4 Buzzards were floating about.
The best of the rest were 3 Stock Dove ,Red Legged Partridge,  Greatwer Spotted Woodpecker, and a flock of 40 plus Lesser Black Backed Gulls.
 Thepatch list now stands at 78

The first visit to the patch since Thursday, and it was back to dodging the showers but at least the wind had died down a tad.
I had a scout around some of the usual haunts for the chance of a Spotted Flycatcher but no luck yet.
Warblers were represented by 3 Chiffchaff, 7 Blackcap, 5 Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat.
Over the pastures were 8 plus House Martins, 6 Swallow, and a brief Swift, also up to 6 singing Skylark.
Overhead there was a male soaring Kestrel and up to 7 Buzzards .Our Yellow Wagtail is still around but appears to have moved breeding area this year.
The best of the rest were Red Legged Partridge, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and 3 Stock Dove