Did a latish afternoon walk along the millstream with the dog. Lapwings displaying, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks singing the fields. Reed Warbler along the open stream, and Cetti’s and Nightingale in the hedgerow. Could see 7 Little Egrets and 3 Grey Herons nests in the willow copse, and there were a group of 4 Greylags (inc one odd hybrid Greylag x Canada)with at least 9 fluffy goslings near the heronry; another 5 Little Egrets were in the field just east of the railway line. Cuckoo calling almost incessantly as I walked back.

The hedgerow is filling in nicely where it was cut back so drastically at the end of March, and I noticed Red Campion and White dead-nettle in flower and Meadowsweet and Teasels starting to grow – so hopefully it will be good for butterflies later on.