Woke early and so after a leisurely breakfast I headed off to Wildlife BCN Summer Leys; it has been ages since I've visited due to the spate of break-ins and the closure of the bridge down to the reserve (I've had limited time too).
On arrival I headed for the Pioneer Hide and who should I see but @987jonty. As we talked a flock of c.50 fieldfare launched themselves from a tree to our left, others could be heard. Late leaving this year? @987jonty mentioned that someone had seen an osprey earlier, over towards St. Mary's, but that he hadn't seen it.
In the hide I added common tern to my year list; initially there was one but there were three when I left. It was suggested that there was a yellow wagtail on the far side but I never found it. I was joined in the hide by another chap and I warned him of the cutting wind when you opened the side shutters. As he opened them he decided nothing was showing well enough to endure this and having been out on the reserve for 1½hrs, he would warm up in his car. As we walked towards the car park he spotted a wren obligingly showing for a photo (saw this on Facebook later).
As I walked around the path there were numerous chiffchaff, willow warbler and more blackcap than you could shake a stick at. At the next hide I met a chap coming out who let me know of the two little ringed plover on the scrape. When I came out he was standing with his scope and chatting to another guy doing the same. Apparently the second chap had spotted the drake garganey sleeping on the waters edge but when he looked again, it had gone. We searched for a while but couldn't locate it.
We looked again from the screen (hide) but still no joy. Continuing on I saw @987jonty though the hedge and he said he'd seen the garganey feeding in the corner 
of the reeds from the Charles Towler (Feeding Station) Hide. When I got there I found it back on the waters edge and asleep. Fortunately a coot took umbrage at the sleeping garganey and charged, forcing it into the water. It swam right, back into the weed and reeds but at least was visible (just).
Onwards and added more views of chiffchaff and willow warbler, close enough this time to get a couple of photos. As I turned for home I had my first views of speckled wood butterflies for the year.
Sightings (44) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blackcap, blue tit, bullfinch, canada goose, carrion crow, chaffinch, chiffchaff, common tern, coot, cormorant, dunnock, fieldfare, gadwall, garganey, goldfinch, great crested grebe, great tit, greenfinch, grey heron, greylag goose, jackdaw, lapwing, little egret, little ringed plover, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, moorhen, oystercatcher, pheasant, redshank, reed bunting, robin, shelduck, shoveler, swallow, teal, tufted duck, wigeon, willow warbler, woodpigeon and wren.
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