First Garden Warbler and Whinchat of the year

 

Female Ruff (reeve) at Porth Hellick 

  Twenty minutes before breakfast I had a quick look along the dead pine walk on the Garrison. 2 Swift, 3 House Martin and 15+Swallow were flying around in the strong SE wind, a single Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaff were singing and 2 Tree Pipit flew NW. Mid way into the walk and I heard my first Garden Warbler singing and then caught a climpse of it before it disappeared deeper into the pines. At the same time Higgo called to tell me that he had the first male Whinchat of the year at Pungi's Lane. It wasn't until an hour later that I found a very mobile stunning male Whinchat in the fields next to the road. There were also 3 Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaff singing, 6 House Martin and 3 Tree Pipit flew over. When Robin arrived a Grasshopper Warbler started reeling in a hedge just in front of us, but could we see it?

 

Garden Warbler, dead pine walk, Garrison  

 

2 Swift and, 3 House Martin and over 15 Swallow were at the Garrison 

  Later on, while at work, Robin called to say that he found a female Ruff, (reeve) at Porth Hellick. While annual in the autumn, it does not occur that often in the spring and could be possibly my first spring record. Being so busy, it was half an hour before I got down to Porth Hellick. Here the bird was on the far side of the pool.
 Conrad turned up and told me that he saw the first Spotted Flycatcher of the year at Carigh-Du. There was no sign of it, but there was a singing Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and overhead 8 House Martin and a single Swift.

 Returning later in the evening to Porth Hellick, found  the Ruff feeding a lot closer on the right shore of the seaward hide.

 

A smart looking female Ruff showing well at Porth Hellick  

 

2 Whimbrel were feeding at the airfield