Friday 01 April

Well, we are into April now and the summer migrants should be starting to return with a vengeance! The weather wasn't so kind today as I went around the valley, with dull dreary skies and a strong blustery wind.

lesser celandine

Whilst I love birds, I try to keep a keen eye out for other wildlife. One thing I am absolutely rubbish at is flower id. I have been trying to find lesser celandine over the last few weeks, and thought I had found some last week whilst returning from work. But I found the leaves were the wrong shape when I checked my field guide later on. But today, I pleased to finally find some.

One bird I have been waiting to return over the last few weeks has been blackcap. I had visited Titchwell RSPB reserve of the North Norfolk coast on Tuesday and, to my slight satisfaction, found they weren't there either. They did , however, have willow warblers singing, so I was delighted to discover that they were now down Gaywood Valley as well. I counted a total of 3 birds for the day.

Then, a little further on (and feeling rather smug), I heard a blackcap singing in Willow Corner. I stopped a while to try and see it, but it remained elusive and I had to make do with its song.

I also managed to add three new species to the Gaywood Valley list. An lone Egyptian goose was seen on the far side, and a pair of coots were seen on the long pond - a bird I have always been surprised never to have seen yet! - and another bird I had expected to see before now was a linnet that flew overhead. This trio now brings the patch list to 86.

A bird that I have seen here before, all be it only recently, is mute swan. There was one on the Gaywood river today and I stopped to take some so-so pictures. But I was a little surprised to find two more on the long pond and couldn't resist getting some close up shots, with this one being the best of the lot.

mute swan