The dry spell continued from late March into the second week of April, when the weather became more unsettled, but Royston seemed to miss the 'April showers'. The temperature varied enormously, from somewhat cool to very warm, with temperatures in the mid-20s on the 8th and early on the 9th. Numbers of our two commonest warblers, the Chiffchaff and the Blackcap, continued to build during the first week, until virtually every copse housed at least one individual of each. However, it was only in the second week that other summer visitors were noted in the Royston area, with three Whitethroats (singing males) recorded between Royston Hospital and The Heath on the 10th. I also found three male Wheatears, a passage migrant, just off The Heath on the same day. Sadly, Willow Warblers have also become passage migrants in the Royston area in the last few years (they were fairly common breeders not so long ago) and so their lovely song is only heard here from the middle of April until early May. I was lucky to see a singing male not far from the house on the 13th.
A visit to the dung heaps north of Ashwell rewarded me with good sightings of several Yellow Wagtails, two Wheatears, two breeding-plumaged male Reed Buntings, a Meadow Pipit and one or two Pied Wagtails when I visited, again on the 10th.
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