Little Cressingham, Norfolk (Fairstead Lane, Green Lane, and the mill area).

The day dawned misty and cloudy with poor light, however, this was soon to clear to give a very hot,  sunny day.
0600: I set off from the road bridge on Fairstead Lane heading for 'The Fairstead'.  A single juvenile Lapwing was on the field adjacent to the Watton Brook Valley.  As I walked past the first corner towards Green Lane a Barn Owl flew out of one of the young roadside Oaks, also here was 2 singing Whitethroats.
2 Common Buzzards, incessantly calling Green Woodpeckers, and young Chiffchaffs were the highlights along Green Lane.
The walk back towards the road bridge at the village produced 3 Oystercatchers on the field adjacent to the brook.

THE MILL AREA
The most numerous species here was House Martins, a small colony has returned to the nearby cottage where a number of nests were visited.  House Martins also flew low around me in their search for food.  A few Swifts were present as well as a male Swallow.
Warbler species were well represented here with Blackcap, Whitethroat, and a single juvenile Chiffhchaff actively moving through the branches of a large Ash.  A single Reed Warbler very briefly sang in front of me in waterside herbage.
A pair of Goldfinches, including a singing bird, dropped into cover in front of me and at least 2 singing Greenfinches were also present.  A Wren was again seen busily gathering insect food for its young within an opening in the windmill.
On the millpond, a female Mallard attended her 3 youngsters and a Little Grebe was seen.

House Sparrow with youngster at Little Cressingham 22/07/13

Back at the road bridge on Fairstead Lane, a few House Sparrows seen along the Watton Brook valley included the above male with one of his offspring.
A male Whitethroat was also close by and sang briefly.
Before leaving I looked along the Watton Brook valley where very dense waterside weeds, grasses, thistles, umbellifers, and Rosebay Willowherb abound, and thoughts were very much with Whinchat, a species I have encountered on passage along the valley in previous autumns......bring on autumn.