They’re late this year, the Spotted flycatchers. According to reports I’ve read, our very wet Spring weather delayed their arrival and the start of their breeding season. And a friend who often heads to the valleys of mid Wales, where many of these birds breed, tells me they were later than usual finding their mates, building their nests, fledging their chicks.

So, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I saw my first (so far, my only) Spotted flycatcher of the year last Sunday, the 18th, eighteen days later than last year. The bird was a beauty, though, initially sitting preening in an alcove of trees that provided shelter from the strong winds, then popping out to an area of low trees to look for lunch. At that point, it was quite close to me so I was able to enjoy watching its fly-catching efforts and get some reasonable photos. A true delight!