Thursday April 5

A bright sunny morning with the merest hint of a north-westerly breeze augured well for some early migrants so I was at Arrow Valley Lake for 07.00. A Blackcap singing from the car-park was followed by another just before the dog-leg.

Here I met Mark who filled me in on a few migrants he had recorded recently, including Willow Warbler, Sand Martins, and Swallow. He confirmed that the Redshank a week or so ago had been the only one he had ever seen here. I was not surprised, as there is no wader habitat here really.

Shortly after we parted I heard the sweet song of a Willow Warbler, and after seeing it in the trees, stretching its wings, I whipped the camera out hoping for some kind of record shot.

Willow Warbler

Typically the only shot that was in focus showed only the bird's backside, so the next best effort is shown here. I was joined by another birder with a serious bit of camera kit, but by then the bird was working its way into more inaccessible scrub. He told me he and Mark had seen a Swallow, so I returned to the path.

Within a few minutes I picked up a hirundine flying north-east, but was surprised to see that it was a Sand Martin. It soon disappeared and I continued ambling back to the car. I soon spotted the Swallow jinking its way across the lake. I watched it for a while, and eventually decided to try to get a photograph. Small birds in flight are extremely challenging, and the results were less than brilliant, but at least I got an identifiable image.

Swallow (and Great Crested Grebe)

Time to go home and have some breakfast.

During the afternoon we returned from Hillers (I had seen a Red Kite from the car over the edge of the Ragley estate), and the focus became our front garden. Both Buff-tailed and Tree Bumblebee were in evidence as well as a solitary bee sp. Finally, as I admired my limited gardening handiwork, a Comma butterfly flew past at a rate of knots.

Spring at last.