6th to 13th April (Garden, and Merton for daily exercise allowance during current lockdown)

The previous weeks weather has been warm to very warm at times with clear, sunny conditions, such weather means that most migrant birds will be passing over at height and out of sight.
An early morning walk to the village of Merton and back on 6th April produced at least 3 singing Blackcaps, also, my first Willow Warbler was heard in song along the Merton Road on the southern outskirts of Watton.
Frustratingly, the 8th April did present with a mystery Pipit species passing overhead N/E in a very purposeful heading, the flight was strong and direct, not weak and erratic like Meadow Pipit, I suspected Tree Pipit, a species I have encountered as a passage species locally both in Spring and Autumn.  The same day produced my first Swallow of the year heading S/E, however, this species probably arrived earlier somewhere on the patch.
In the garden, two pairs of Blackbirds are nesting, one pair was just visible feeding recently hatched young with small food items, the parents delicately fed their offspring deep in the nest cup.
Sparrowhawks have been seen almost daily with the female often seen performing her spectacular 'switchback' display, on one occasion she was seen directly above me pulling up into a vertical climb.

Sparrowhawk (female) displaying 9th April

Blackcaps have featured as a migrant through my, and adjoining gardens during this period, song has been heard, and purposeful movement through the gardens suggested passage birds as opposed to birds on territory.

Blackcap (male) a common breeding migrant

Dunnocks have been displaying their extraordinary sex life behaviour in the garden, and Long-tailed Tit and Blue Tit pairs were frequent visitors to my hedge.
Starlings have featured daily with males mostly being seen.  The sunny days have certainly shown off the stunning iridescent plumage of these overlooked birds.  Starlings are frequent visitors to the lawn now as they probe the lawn for the larvae of Crane Fly (Daddy Long Legs), these grubs are known as 'Leatherjackets', an invertebrate which potentially damage lawns as they feed upon grass roots.  If you watch Starlings probe, they stab the lawn and then open the bill to widen the hole, once a grub is found the bill is shut and the juicy morsel withdrawn.

Starling (male) with Leatherjacket

House Sparrows are always present in good numbers, which is very pleasing, and during the this reporting period there has been plenty of courtship and mating behaviour observed.  I love to watch their chasing and squabbling behaviour, also, they bring great comic value too.

House Sparrow in the garden

Singing and displaying Greenfinches and a singing male Siskin have been seen most days, however, the most abundant Finch is the Goldfinch, or 'King Harry' as they are colloquially known as in Norfolk.
During this period of lockdown due to the Coronavirus, it is obviously frustrating not to get out onto the patch, however, it is important to show compliance with the Governmental instructions.