Today was a first outing to the park in 140 days!! And was duly celebrated with a sausage and mushroom ciabatta, coffee and intake of vitamin D!! Nice to listen to Song Thrush, Chaffinch and Siskin all heard only and all year ticks!! A Chiffchaff hidden in the blossomed-laden pondside bush was strident and a Buzzard enjoyed the fine soaring conditions. Sadly, no obvious Firecrest sounds.
Back at base yet more vitamin D whilst watching a heron chased down into the reeds and later back out onto a nearby rooftop where it sat, crest raised and bill upwards, to deter the annoyed Herring Gulls. It eventually flopped down into the garden where I'm sure a garden pond will have provided a lunch opportunity.
Rather better, and definitely a harbinger of spring, was the first male Blackcap of the spring, just a little later than last year and singing strongly and perched up in view adjacent to the dead tree.
The roadside scrub held just the usual Cetti's but little else other than a couple of NfY white spp butterflies.
Back to the bench for some final skywatching produced the first Sparrowhawk of the year flushing up all the feral doves and drifting off south behind the big Horse Chestnut.
