Carlton Marshes on Easter Saturday

At 1.20pm in the afternoon, a gorgeous male Orange Tip butterfly, my first of the year, flew into the garden flew into the north- eastern corner and briefly settled on the Aubretia before to flew back over the garden and south over the fence. At Carlton Marshes during the afternoon, I walked up to the scrape, On the walk up I saw a Swallow fly across the path flying south, I also heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling 2/3 of the way up on the right hand side, but couldn't see it. The Scrape had 3 Little Egrets on it but little else. Behind me, a Hairy Hawker flew by my first of the year and a good early date. With cloudy conditions and a brisk north- easterly breeze, birds were keeping under cover, I heard 2 Sedge Warblers and Grasshopper Warbler again at the spot I'd heard it on the walk up. At Spratts Water, 3 Willow Warblers, 5 singing or "takking" Blackcaps and 2 Chiff Chaff heard, plus another Swallow, first heard and then seen and a Green Woodpecker and I heard my first Whitethroat of the year. Walking back looking at the dilapidated building, the sun came out and sure enough, a Little Owl (they love the sun) peered out from the window and I also heard a Cuckoo calling tom the northern part of the reserve.