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Encouraged by what I had seen in the park yesterday I went back this morning to see if I could see the whinchat that has been reported in recent days.

First of all in the marshy area I saw reed buntings again. In the same area I also saw goldfinch, common whitethroat, a bluetit and overhead a kestrel (which was almost impossible to photograph as it was against the light).

Reed bunting

Reed bunting in flight

Aggressive reed bunting

Common whitethroat

Common whitethroat

Common whitethroat

Common whitethroat in flight

Just as I was about to move on I caught sight of the whinchat. It’s not that rare but I was dead chuffed to see it. I stayed for a while but that was the only sighting.

Whinchat

I did a loop of Duchess Pond and saw more goldfinches, a green woodpecker and moorhens, coots and mallards.

Goldfinch

Green woodpecker

Green woodpecker in flight

Juvenile moorhen

Coot putting its chick in place

Moorhen

There were also a few bedraggled butterflies.