Garden Warbler moves the year list along

I popped back to Fishers Green this morning to see if the local Nightingales would be singing and hoping one might just come out of cover to allow a photo opportunity. The good news was that the birds were singing and when the Nightingales sing it seems all the other birds just give up and let them have their moment maybe through lack of competition or maybe they like me just enjoy listening to the song.

Nightingale

Nightingale singing

During the gaps in song Blackcaps would be heard along with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat.

Chiffchaff

As I walked through the gate towards the power station I heard another song and quickly got on to my first Garden Warbler of 2013 (212) Back at Seventy Acres lake I spotted another two Common Tern but again the Black-headed Gull chased them off. I'm hoping they'll come back with a few mates and set about finding territory. Also witnessed a Greylag Goose diving completely under the water like a Coot and staying down for several seconds before popping back up. I've never seen this behaviour before with Geese and don't think it's common by any means.

Greylag (just bobbed back up from being underwater)

I took the dog back later for a walk around seventy acres lake and spotted a Sparrowhawk amongst the more usual birds. Still no Hobby despite them being reported since Saturday.

Robin (couldn't resist as he sat up for me)

Mute Swan 

I now need two more in April to break even with last Aprils total of 214.

Terrapin on Goldings Hill Pond

On the drive home I noticed the above Terrapin sunning itself on Goldings Hill pond. It was about eight inches across the shell so quite a large creature that has obviously outgrown it's tank and been released at some stage into the pond.