Redstart and Whinchat

I enjoyed another hour and a half at Axe Cliff this morning, most of it in sunshine although when I first stepped out of the car the thermometer read just 3c!

Not a mega fall (unlike Portland!) and there were plenty of empty bushes, however plugging away gave me my first Redstart of the year (a bright female), six Willow Warbler, six Whitethroats (all looked like local breeders), ten Wheatear and two Dunlin over east.  

Such a delightful hit of spring! The lemon yellow of this fresh Willow Warbler perfectly complementing the colour of the newly emerging leaves.

The Redstart was one of the brightest females I've seen!  

  

It was very happy picking about on the stubble

We are clearly now in the migration time of the more northerly breeding Wheatears, with the ten today looking larger and more pastel-toned that the birds seen here in March/early April...

Beasty!

I also managed to see (very distantly) my first Whinchat of the year on Seaton Marshes, which had been there all day after Phil found it first thing in the morning.  When I saw it late in the afternoon it was with two more Wheatear, at a range of about 400 meters...

Love how despite the fact this entire photo is a blur, the striking head pattern of a spring male Whinchat still looks so vivid!

 

Last thing today, a short wander near Tower Services gave me two more each of Wheatear and Willow Warbler.  

Yesterday (Saturday) was a family day spent off patch, however before we left I saw my first Swift of the year hawking just south of Tower Services over the edge of Seaton.  Always such an exciting sight.

Saturday evening a walk around the back lanes of Axmouth failed to produce much on the bird front, but it was nice to see my first Painted Lady of the year...

Looking a bit tatty

 

I'll finish this post with a Whimbrel shot, seeing as though I've seen a fair few over the last week.  Saying that though, not many of them have been grounded with the vast majority flying straight through...

The only species of wader I have seen in any number so far this spring

Thanks for reading everyone. Looks like we've got a sunny week ahead, although that's not always a good thing for the birding...