17-18 April.

Sunset over the pond.

A Chiffchaff feathering the nest.

Green woodpecker, oh if it was sharp...

Greylag on the pond.

Trees beside the pond. Canon have generously lent me a lens to experiment with. Above: an architectural lens gives an unusual perspective on a wooded area and also of the pond.

With the current work load, visits to the common haven't been as frequent as desired, but brief walks on Saturday and Sunday were rewarding with sightings again of all three woodpeckers and warblers over from Africa. It is a great time of year with nesting birds, beautiful blue skies and the flowers and blossom coming into bloom.

The Triangle seems to be the area for the woodpeckers at the moment with cracking views of all three species and Blackcap and Chiffchaff were singing beside the railway line. Song thrushes are also more evident, being seen on both sides of the tracks...

Five Greylag stopped briefly on the pond on Saturday before heading off and a young Grey heron was in the reeds, another flew over as did five Herring gulls. The Egyptian geese have four chicks, they had five to start with but one was apparently killed by a dog. The male swan is very aggressive, the female is on a nest and the Canada geese are getting it. A pair of Chiffchaffs seem to be nesting very close to the path by the pond and a male Blackcap was singing his heart out, drawing in a female that was seen close by. All the birds are very active at the moment, courting, feeding young or nest building. The Robins have paired off and have become secretive conversely the Dunnocks, usually more skulking are singing out in the open in good numbers. Willow warblers were heard singing by the pond, in Streatham wood and also in Graveney wood.

List additions:

52. Willow warbler
53. Blackcap