The end of April has arrived and summer migrants have continued to appear on the patch.
Singing Willow Warblers were recorded on the 24th and 26th but sadly didn't stay.On the 26th the first Sand Martin (88) of the year dropped into the lake and 4 Reed Warblers were singing at the southern end. On the 28th a Garden Warbler (89) was singing from lakeside trees and a Coot was on
the lake.

Returning Coot

Sunday 28th gave some good views of a Cuckoo as it flew around the orchard calling as it went.

Cuckoo in the orchard

This evening I had a quick walk despite the horrid conditions and was rewarded with a Common Sandpiper (90) on the lake. A species I didn't record last year.

Yesterdays early morning walk started well with the first of 4 Whitethroats(86) on the patch that had come in over night.

One of the newly arrived Whitethroats

Down at the lake a Grey Wagtail was in the ditch opposite the pumping station and a Mistle Thrush was in the sheep field.

At the lake a Reed Warbler was singing from the southern end and three Cuckoos were present ( 2 males and a female) and I was delighted to find a Nightingale(87) singing on the Shirrenden side.

A pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were in the alders behind Lake Cottage.

A single Mandarin drake was present.

                                                                     Mandarin drake

This afternoon the Nightingale had moved behind Lake Cottage where I also saw two Marsh Tits.

Yesterday I managed to photograph a pair of Orange Tips.

The change in weather has got some migrants appearing on the patch with the first Cuckoo(82) calling on an early morning walk.Later that afternoon a Wheatear(83) was found in amongst the rows of apple trees in the orchard next to the lake.

                                                          Yesterdays Wheatear

The good fortune continued this morning with a Lesser Whitethroat(84) in the hedge by the pumping station and down at the lake the first Reed Warbler(85) was singing in reeds in the SW corner.
This evening 2 Lesser Whitethroats were found (1 at the top of Kirkins and 1 in the hedge in Gibbet Lane) and the Cuckoo was calling.
Bee flies have appeared in good numbers and I witnessed two male Orange Tips attending a female in Furnace Lane.

Bee Flies

Orange Tips

The first Blackcap(77) appeared on the 5th April, thirteen days later than last year! On the 7th it was joined by a second plus one in our garden.A single Fieldfare and a Redwing were down at the lake. An early evening walk on the same day produced the second Willow Warbler of the spring and the first two Swallows(78) over the lake.
The next day there were three Swallows and I was surprised to see three House Martins(79) over the village.Down at the lake a pair of Shovelers(80) landed on the lake,briefly, before flying off to the south.
On the ninth a Fieldfare(probably the last of the spring) was present.
On the 13th a Red Kite(81) flew over the lake and drifted towards the village.
It was great to have some warm sunshine yesterday so I walked down to the lake for butterflies and wasn't disappointed when I saw the first two Orange Tips and three Peacocks plus a couple of Common Lizards.

                                                Orange Tip feeding on Cuckoo Flower

Basking Peacock

The twenty first of March saw a Little Egret(74) fly down the lake, a surprisingly uncommon bird on the patch. A Mallard with 12 ducklings was on the lake,

Sadly they didn't last long as a Mink wiped them out.
There were still a few Brambling about towards the end of the month but Fieldfare and Redwing numbers had dropped off .
There were 4 Chiffchaffs around the patch on the 30th and a very early Willow Warbler (75) that sadly didn't stcick around.
The lake held a redhead Goosander(76) this evening plus a Mandarin and a Teal.

Todays Goosander-always distant!

The first Goosander since 2014.

A Reed Buntng has been singing down at the lake,

With a second Bluthroat being found in Dengemarsh gully I went down to try for a few shots.

Bluethroat at Dengemarsh-What a beauty!!!

Very confiding