The Whitethroats are back

Today the wind had dropped and the sun was shining. I met Dave at Netherstead Farm, and was feeling in a much more positive frame of mind than yesterday. We started seeing migrants immediately as a female Wheatear was spotted perched incongruously on telegraph wires. It then became clear that Common Whitethroats were much more plentiful than they have been.

Common Whitethroat

 We ended up with a count of six singing males, this is still well short of the 12 - 20 pairs which the farm usually holds but its a start. I then spotted a small bird flying along the fenceline away from us. Did that have an orange tail? We relocated it with the scope and confirmed it was a female Redstart. We reached the main pool where another pleasant surprise was in store as Dave spotted a Lapwing chick, the first of the season. There was also a third brood of Mallards. The flashes seemed quiet and we were about to leave when I noticed a small bird perched on the fence behind the furthest flash. Even through a scope it took several seconds to figure out it was a female Whinchat, the first this year. We ambled back, accidentally flushing a Little Owl from the hedge. Finally, back at Netherstead we saw a grey-backed alba Wagtail. I have seen this bird, a female, twice since late March. It looks like a female White Wagtail but the setting and length of stay makes me wonder. Dave agreed it was far paler than a female Pied Wagtail should be. Attempts to photograph it were thwarted when it flew off over the farm.