They’re Back

My first visit to the Fen for quite some time, it was great to be back out there again. The light was lovely and as soon as I arrived I was greeted by the scratchy jazz song of the Sedge Warbler. The Summer migrants are back! There were a good number of them singing away, so I spent some time trying to photograph them.

Not bad for a first effort, just a shame about that reed crossing him, but better than last year already!

Continuing my walk, I found Linnets busy collecting nesting material, several Whitethroats singing from the hedges, Reed warblers, Chiffchaffs, and Blackcap, one of my favourite songsters. A Cuckoo called and a Buzzard soared overhead.

Suddenly, an unusual sound caught my ears, a ventriloquial reeling, which could only be a Grasshopper warbler, the first I’ve ever heard. What an odd, un-bird-like sound, like the reedbed itself is buzzing. Fading in gradually and then stopping so abruptly, a noise you only notice when it’s gone. I closed my eyes to listen, the sound was distant, drifting on the wind, now louder, closer, coming from all around and right in front of me. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but reeds.

Further along, a Roe deer buck was nibbling dandelion flowers in the meadow and clouds of Swifts, Swallows and House martins were hunting insects. I can’t help feeling that Summer is nearly here!