A beautiful spring morning attracted eighteen members to the Newark Priory car park to the sound of the first of a dozen chiffchaffs that we were to encounter. The meadow opposite held numerous jackdaws and woodpigeons, a few greylag geese and a cock pheasant. The lake gave our first view of blackcaps both male and female and their song stayed with us through the morning. The water was quiet apart from numerous coots, a few swans and two great crested grebes though we were later to find small numbers of mallards, tufted ducks, Canada geese and black-headed gulls. We proceeded clockwise around the lake hearing many vocal wrens, robins and great tits and eventually the song of skylarks. A great spotted woodpecker engaged our interest for a time and we then started noticing orange-tip and speckled wood butterflies. The hidden pool was quiet apart from a single, beautifully plumaged little grebe. Leaving the lake we headed for Papercourt Farm accompanied by the yaffle of a green woodpecker. There were a few stock doves on the farm and a kestrel perched in view. Past the lock we ventured onto the edge of the water meadows and were rewarded by excellent views of reed buntings and linnets. After careful scanning a sedge warbler was picked out atop a bramble but patience was required before a whitethroat finally showed it self. The return walk along the river was similarly fruitful. Another sedge warbler was heard singing before perching in view while a whitethroat appeared next to it. Then unusually a handsome Cetti’s warbler joined them while a stonechat completed the quartet. Final sightings of a mistle thrush and a grey heron were the icing on the cake. It was a most enjoyable morning with an excellent list that totalled 48 species.