Passage warblers

 Lade - warm, dry and sunny, NW 2 - After a wet and windy weekend it felt good to feel the return of the sun this morning, which brought forth a decent flush of butterflies from grassland species such as Marbled Whites and Common Blues (most past their best) to Hedge Browns, Red Admirals and Peacocks aplenty in the shelter of the ponds and where a lone buddleia was smothered in insects. Willow Warblers are on the move in good numbers this month and have appeared not only here in the scrub, where about 20 were present around the ponds, but also lesser numbers in our garden and across farmland hedgerows. Also noted in the sallows and reedbeds this morning several each of Reed and Sedge Warblers and Common Whitethroats along with Blue and Great Tits. A Sparrowhawk soared over the willow swamp, a couple of Common Terns came and went and a Common Sandpiper flitted over south lake. There was no sign of last weeks Black-necked Grebe but still plenty of Great Crested and Little Grebes with chicks, Coots and diving ducks.

                                  Butterfly bush, Lade ponds

                     

                                 Marbled White and Common Blue

Elsewhere over the weekend a flurry of terns on Saturday in the rain produced several Black and Arctic Terns off the fishing boats and on Burrowes (SM), while another singing Quail was reported from Caldecote Lane near Lydd yesterday (GP).