30th April - chilly start, mostly sunny morning, becoming cloudy from NW, giving wintry shower squalls, 11C max

This morning four Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow were again at the feed station, a Nuthatch visited often. We still seem to have only four Swallows back in the village, I think the cool wintry showers is not providing the food for them, see later comment.

I visited Draycote Water this afternoon, I arrived in a very wintry squall (rain/snow/hail, very gusty wind), after sitting this out it brightened up and I set off along Farborough bank hoping that the weather would bring in a selection of Terns, distantly 2 Common Tern were seen.  On the leeward grass side of the bank there was a good number of Yellow Wagtails, Pied Wagtails, Goldfinch and Linnet.  The Yellow Wagtails looked so smart, I had to take lots of record photos.

Around the reservoir lots of Warblers were singing (Chiffchaff, Willow, Blackcap, Lesser and Common Whitethroat), at least 3 Treecreepers were singing too.

A single Oystercatcher was present, and 3+ Common Sandpipers were around the edge.  One the rocky dam near the withdraw tower 2 Wheatear were feeding.

The usual ducks and geese were present, some of the Mallard now have ducklings, which is good to see.

Over the water there was hundreds of Swallows, House, Sand Martins and at least 100 Swifts.  The reason was there were lots of insects, midges etc out, sometimes you had to walk through a swarm.  I reckon that the Swallows are staying at the water bodies where the food is until it warms up and insect food becomes more widely available.  Unfortunately, the hoped for terns never appeared, another day then.  A friendly Herring Gull sat on the wall, often overlooked, but very smart in their summer plumage.

I made it back to the start as another squall crept ever closer, some brave soles were just heading off as the rain and wind started.