First Garden and Grasshopper Warblers of the year

A Garden Warbler skulks in the Hawthorns.
Garden Warbler

A garden warbler skulking was one of three in the woodland at Dean Clough on May 5, along with a briefly reeling Grasshopper warbler which were both my first of the year. The Whimbrel of earlier in the week appear to have moved on, and no Curlew were heard which was odd. Redpoll have been notably in their absence this year, but a couple of calling birds put in an appearance. A few Barn Swallows were around and there seemed to be a pulse going north with double figures noted over Dean Clough and Parsonage.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S332859930

Edit: I went back three days later for the dawn chorus to record the warblers:

Grasshopper Warbler

I couldn’t hear a second Grasshopper Warbler reeling either in the field or on the recording, but there is one, which can be picked out on the sonogram. In some of the gaps between the first one singing, you can see the faint trace of the second still reeling in the far distance.

Garden Warbler