Thursday March 15

I've made a couple of visits to Arrow Valley Lake since the Slavonian Grebe departed overnight.

The first was on Saturday and was pretty unremarkable. Today's visit was a bit better. It had rained in the early hours and remained pretty dull for most of the morning. The temperature remains fairly mild, but is forecast to plummet over the coming weekend.

The highlight was the presence of at least two, and probably more, Chiffchaffs in one small stretch about halfway down the east side of the lake.

Chiffchaff

Arguably more unexpected was a Skylark which flew west, the second occasion I have seen one here this year.

At least three Grey Herons are now sitting on their nests on the island, and I was pleased to note that a pair of Oystercatchers has returned following the false start in early February. Four Shovelers remain but there was no sign of any Tufted Ducks.

I counted eight Little Egrets on the island, the same number as last winter. Typically they weren't grouped close enough together to get a particularly interesting shot, although I did get them all in. I preferred a couple of photos showing the sub-groups of five and three.

Today's hoodwink bird came as I was trying to photograph a Reed Bunting (not very successfully). A sharp call heard twice may have been a Brambling. Unfortunately I was under trees and it may have been flying over and the sound was rather faint. I didn't see it, and decided not to count it.