The weather prior to dawn had a feel of promise for migrant birds as showers passing through would ground birds on their passage. I therefore decided to visit an area in the Watton Brook valley at Little Cressingham to check the fences, posts, and lush waterside habitat for new arrivals.
Within minutes of reaching my intended location, I found my first obvious migrant, a Spotted Flycatcher sitting on barbed wire fencing in the valley. This delightful bird, which is quite scarce now as a breeding bird, was probably an overnight arrival using the valley to rest and refuel before conitnuing its passage, which in time, may take it as far south as South Africa.
Further down the valley, I saw a quite distant Reed Warbler on posts and in vegetation. It is strange to this otherwise skulking Warbler in the relative open of fence-posts.
Goldfinches were typically common all along the valley which many birds, both adults and juveniles, feeding amongst the plentiful supply of thistles. Also seen was Reed Bunting and Yellowhammers along the valley.
A couple of Common Buzzards were seen and the morning was nicely rounded off with a distant Hobby flying at speed along the valley near Bodney camp.
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