Tuesday 30th May Afternoon

I finished work early enough for me to spend an hour at New Hythe and try to catch up with the elusive Hobby. Unfortunately I didn't!

A Common Lizard showed well before scurrying off into cover near the ditch in the West scrub/open area. Also a few Common Blue Damselflies here. Bird wise there was a Willow Warbler, several Whitethroat and a few Swift over.

Around Abbey Mead I added 4 Nightingale (more singing at this time of day than in the morning!) and a couple of Cettis. Over Brooklands there were still lots of hirundines - Sand and House Martin as well as Swift and a couple of Swallow. Also a few Reed Warbler in song. Looks like the Anglers are building a race-track around the lake as well which is worrying.

Most interesting bird of the visit was a Chiffchaff along the Mill Stream. It has a very jumbled Chiff-Chaff call followed by more stuttering notes. I got views of it in the canopy of a Willow - I am sure it is just a Chiify with a musical bent but interesting none the less.