This morning's first job was a survey for breeding birds on Elney Lake, and it was a great start to the day. Some of our coots and great crested grebes are already on nests, and song birds seemed to be everywhere, trying to make more noice than their neighbours. Cetti's, sedge and willow warblers, blackcaps anf chiffchaffs were competing with reed buntings, blackbirds, robins, wrens, dunnocks and song thrushes. In amongst them all, I heard my first common whitethroat of the year.
Stretches of blackthorn hedge are now billowing with white blossom, and look stunning. Unfortunately for me, the early start meant that the sun hadn't warmed up enough to get the butterflies flying before it was time to head into the office.