I need not have worried though, May has arrived and all is well with the world. The day started with one of the Little Owls on guard and the transects went well with my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year singing near Lookers where a Wheatear was also seen along with the more expected Sedge Warblers, Reed Warbler, Whitethroats, and various other regular or should I say now, not so regular farmland species.
Moving on to my second transect for more of the same with the addition of Little Egret, Water Rail, and Lapwing and in the reedbed a familiar, though these days, not often heard song (at least in Sussex). Unfortunately the video does not contain the bird, only the reeling of one of the two Grasshopper Warblers that were belting it out! After Al Redman joined me we watched one of the birds skulking through the scrub before climbing into a bush where it proceeded to reel, the intensity varying as the bird turned its head with all the while its tail quivering in time. Only my 3rd and 4th on the patch and the 2nd and 3rd spring birds so a "reel" bonus!
Al and I then moved on to Down Level where we added Greenshank, Hobby, 4 Yellow Wagtail, a small collection of Peacock and Small Tortoiseshells, Raven, 6 or so Buzzards, 4 Gadwall, and a smattering of Little Egret.
