Patch Migrants

Another walk round the patch to see if any migrants had made their way to my few fields. 

First up was a Lesser Whitethroat singing in a bush. Quite common locally, it was nice to see one this early belting out its song as it picked its way through blackthorn blossom. then down on the river a Kingfisher whizzed by and a Jay shrieked. On to the horse field, and a Pied Wagtail. I haven't had one on the ground on the patch so was pleased to get this, but on close inspection and note-taking and after consulting books and the net it was a White Wagtail. Pale grey back, abrupt change into the black cap, distinct and bold black bib, not much other black on it.

A Mute Swan on the river was a patch year tick, then down by Feakes Lock a female Black Redstart! It was sat in a tree, and then hawked insects and moved to the bushes by the river bank, finally sitting on a fallen log.

I initially identified this as a Redstart, but sent the photos below to local birders who confirmed it as Black Redstart. I never thought I'd see one in a tree in a field outside Sawbridgeworth! Here's the pics, one enlarged and one as taken through the scope.

A Cetti's warbler sang from the reeds behind the Black Redstart. That's a different set of reeds from the ones up by the pond, so I make that 2 Cetti's warblers on the patch. A Bullfinch sat in the hedgerow, and a Redpoll was amongst 25 Linnets. Then the rain came, and that was it. After the latest flurry of migrants, the patch year list stands at 72.