Fowlmere RSPB, 13th/14th April.

On paper it looked like it should be a fairly decent weekend, a bit of southerly, reasonably clear nights and the dates all added for migrants to be moving and that is indeed what happened.
A nice little arrival of summer/passage birds. I knew from the off that it was going to be a good one when stepping out the car on the 13th and could hear a Nightingale singing! The bird was in the thicket at the far left side of the carpark, no way was I going to see it but I sure could hear it! As the light of the day got brighter the Nightingale started to go quieter and was heard up until 06.50. Despite Fowlmere having what looks like good breeding habitat for Nightingale, they are actually really infrequent, the last one I can recall was back in 2010. 
More Sedge Warbler had made it back with 5 and Reed Warbler also up to 4. A male Lesser Whitethroat singing in the cattle paddock was the first of the year, 3 Willow Warbler singing…2 at least could be birds back on territory and 6 Sand Martin flew through. 
With migrants obviously in, a check of the guilden brook was a must and sure enough there was a Redstart on it,  a cracking male. On the 14th I was quite surprised to find the Redstart still present but what was very nice was while watching the Redstart perched on the sheep fence, another male came and joined it..2 male Redstart together, lovely! 
It feels like the spring is just starting to liven up.