A dawn bike ride to Holywell this morning, and Whitethroat numbers continue to swell,with 16 seen along the waggonways. Highlight was what appeared to be two scrapping males, trying for the attention of a watching female. They tried to out-do each other with song and much wing quivering. Other males were song-flighting in the calm,warm conditions. Then not a common sight as a Lesser Whitethroat also song-flighting 3-4 times. one of 3 seen.
A Song Thrush was nest-building,probably about a month behind normal schedule. 6 male Yellowhammers sang and 3 Blackcaps noted. 2 Sedge Warblers seen at the pond. Later in the day, I stole an hour at Beacon Hill,which at last, is beginning to show some signs of spring. A new addition to the year list was a singing Garden Warbler,showing on and off from deep in a bush. Perhaps 12 Willow Warblers seen , a Sedge Warbler and 6 Whitethroats. A few Yellowhammers here and several Redpolls. Two Tree Pipits displayed on the fell and Nuthatch,Treecreeper and 2 Jays seen in the woods. Three singing Redstarts were nice to see. Then ,as last year, 4 Whimbrel feeding in a field. The hill seems to be a migration rest-stop now for this species.
A.S.Jack
