Riiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggggggg......Visit Two.....N Day....

I wont say I sprang out of bed when the alarm went off at 0430.  My days of springing out of bed are behind me, if I do it these days I end up doing myself an injustice of some sort....so...I creaked.....
Having promised myself that fabled early start it had to be done.  This was going to be N day...Nightingale...I hoped!!
Just before the hour of 0500 I pulled up in the car, having watched it slowly get brighter even as I drove the 8 minutes ish to Five Oak Green.  I had wanted to get to the pits by the time Dawn had broken, so I failed there.
I know what stopped me, having to scrape the frost off the windscreen!!

0500 Clear, (dark!, starlit), light breeze, cold, frosty!!
The crescendo of noise when I opened the car door was amazing, something my mind seems to have forgotten.  I must get used to this again.  The difference now to my usual 0900 appearance is stunning.  Blackbirds, just seemingly loads of them, blasting their song, Robins all over the place shrill, 4 or 5 Song Thrush instead of the usual one that can be hard to locate.  It was hard to figure out anything else that may have been having a go, so they would have to wait for my return.
Another rush to get across to the pits.  A Woodpigeon clattered out of the trees at the house across the orchard and several Pheasants clucked in the distance from various places North, East and West.

East across the orchard - dawning

Skylark again as I crossed the field, Blue Tit and Great Tit greeted my arrival at the pits.  As did a heavy mist across the water.  Although I had decided again I wouldnt be counting this certainly would have put a dampener on it if I had intended too.

This is quite a clear picture a little later on, though initially visibility across the pits was dubious.

Through the murk I could make out more Mute Swans than I had seen present before so I thought I had better make a stab at counting them at least.  I neednt have bothered, just as I was leaving 12 took off from one pit, leaving 8 more on the other pits - 20 in total.

Wren and Reed Bunting were up early and giving it what for.  The first real excitement of the day - Cuckoo!!  At least two, so probably some females around somewhere too though I didnt hear any burbling.  A fly by Cuckoo a little later was a rather pleasant highlight.

Crow croaked and the Green Woodpecker display began which lasted most of the time I was on site.  There is a fabulous number of these birds around this site.

Whitethroats now began to appear in better numbers.  They had, for the most part, probably been there last night when I visited briefly, but this was a chance to have a much better walk round.  At least 10 were found.  More Blackcaps appeared though I dont think there are double numbers on site at the moment.

I had heard the Canada Geese flying in honking and they, 2, now made an appearance.  A solitary Starling rushed past.

Willow Warblers increased slowly though Chiffchaff numbers seem to have gone mad, they seem to be in every bush or tree that you care to look at.

I could hear, in the distance, he sound I had come looking for...er...hearing for?  Nightingale.

Nightingale.  How do I sound?  Just groovy!!

I could make out 3 or 4.  I immediately pressed forward to locate, count, listen and if possible - watch.  To me, this bird is just the most stunning noise maker in the bird world.  Its evocative.  Its emotional.  Its bloody amazing!  I think they are one of the best birds to hear and see.  Dont ever let anyone tell you its just a brown bird in a dense thicket.  Patience rewards you with fabulous views and wonderous melodies.  The tail colour is something to behold.  They tend to be faithful to sites.  Its the bees knees of birds and the bird that, when Spring sits on the horizon, makes me most twitchy about (I dont often use that word).  I love Nightingales.

I had to venture to a part of the pits that I hadnt visited before to get closer.  This is mostly because around this part of the pits there arent any...er...pits to view.  This shouldnt of course mean that these places can be ignored...but I have managed to achieve this.  I suppose its time that constrains us all.

So...what of this new wonderous part of the site.  Feral Pigeon to start.  More Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff.  Magpie and Pied Wagtail were present.  As were 3 Spotted Flycatchers.  They werent there for long though as they flew off East.  I tried to get a picture but failed as they headed out quickly.  

I located 5 Nightingales singing.  Absolutely fantastic.  4 at the quarry and one on the way back along the pits which decided it was time to join in.

By the time I started heading back the sun was truly up....and the mist on the water was too.

I noted Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Tufted Duck, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Shoveller, Moorhen, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Jay, Pochard and Dunnock by the time I returned to the gate.  About to leave a fly by drake Mandarin was nice to see again.
By this time a mist/fog had started to roll in from the South-East and the sun began to disappear behind a few clouds which was a bit disappointing.
Heading back across the field 2 Swallow flew by a few inches off the ground.  Chaffinches sang and a Yellowhammer made a brief appearance by disappearing.
Returning to the car I finally got the three species that I usually start wtih....Goldfinch, House Sparrow and Collared Dove.
0800.