This morning I elected to head south, to check out the Overlow Pit and Mill Stream. Not a lot happened on the way to the former (aside, that is, from extremely wet feet and trouser bottoms thanks to some long, wet grass on the west bank path between Bineham and Stretham bridges), but arriving at the Pit there were 4 Little Egrets and a Hobby that dashed past heading west. Again it was fairly quiet en route to the Mill Stream, but a Wall Brown butterfly at Stretham Bridge was nice to see.

Walking along the Mill Stream there were several Reed Warbler territories, Skylarks were singing overhead and whilst I couldn’t see any Lapwings in the usual field there was one the other side of the stream. At the eastern wooded end of the Mill Stream there were two Nightingales singing, a Lesser Whitethroat in a tree and a singing Cetti’s Warbler was, like the Nightingales, heard and not seen. Also initially just heard was a purring Turtle Dove, and after a bit of patient waiting one finally appeared on a pylon giving splendid views.

It was bit after the Lord Mayor’s show on the way home via Lepride Farm and South View terrace, with just a Buzzard and a couple of Stock Doves added. There was also my first Painted Lady of the year in the field north of Lepride Farm.