Skylarks return

As I write this the rain is falling once more, but there was a respite in the relentlessly crap weather this morning and I made the most of it with a pre-work stroll around the racecourse & Hackney Marshes. One of the first birds I heard was a Skylark, singing high over the middle of the racecourse; the 100th species recorded on patch this year. A second patch year tick for me came in the form of a female Stonechat; also of note on the racecourse were 10+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Kestrel, a Reed Bunting and a Grey Heron.

  Here comes the rain again...

 

The female type Black Redstart was again around my house first thing this morning; the first time I've seen it in almost a month.