Spring continues to deliver it's 'firsts of 2011'. Anna saw the first swifts of the yr today - right on cue for the 28th April. A few sand martins and house martins were also 'high up' passing through. Low down, on the heath where I was checking the highland cattle, there were some ahead-of-schedule insects about - both broad-bodied and four-spotted chaser dragonflies. I usually don't see these species until early May. There are azure damselflies on the wing around the reserve too, along with many large red damselflies. The latter have been around for a couple of weeks now, and if you go to the 'black pond' (the one next to the bridleway on the edge of the heath) you'll see where many of them have been emerging from. The rushes growing in the edge of the water have dozens of tiny exuviae still clinging to the stems where the larvae have climbed out of the water to emerge.
Nightingales, common and lesser whitethroats, garden warblers, blackcaps and others are still singing at various points around the trail. This morning one of the nightingales was singing from the edge of the car park - stunning.
Nice to hear Anna had her first Swifts on the 28th. The first Swift, (definitely a Common) for Pulborough this year was a remarkably early 9th April!