Friday 30th April

An early start - the kids got me up 05:15, so it seemed criminal not to go for the Iberian Chiffchaff that was residing in a wood in Walderslade only 15-20 minutes away.  So just before 06:00 I found myself standing next to Andy Appleton and another birder from Bromley listening and watching this Spanish sprite.  It was noticeably different from my local chiffies - more yellowy tinge and of course the call and song were very distinctive.  Five Swifts overhead, my first of the year, were an added bonus
.

Back in Barming I made another attempt to locate the Cuckoo that everyone apart from me seems to have heard, but no luck.  The first apple blossoms were just starting to unfurl in the orchards just east of South Street.

The cycle into work turned up a showy Garden Warbler on the east side of Oaken Wood, it's bubbling warble competing with a nearby Blackcap. A quick sortie of the paddocks round East Malling turned up my third Wheatear of the week, sitting on a telegraph wire of all places near the Paris Farm paddocks - possibly Wednesday's bird lingering?  Three Swallows were also seen to scythe across the paddock turf.

I finished the day with the briefest of views of the Hoopoe at Lenham Heath.  Good to see it, even if it was for such a short time and good to catch up with a few familiar faces!  All in all not a bad day.