While these famous visitors look rather drab, their song is beautiful, carrying across the reserve. Nightingales are reputed to be shy and elusive. Hmm... I guess this chap hadn't read the rule book. On at least three occasions while we were visiting this particular character posed in plain view, and relatively close in, less than 20 yards away from an appreciative audience. RSPB staff were on hand to chat and answer questions, and it was good to see a mix of birders, photographers and the more casual visitors all getting such joy from such a confiding bird.
Talking of confiding, again at Pulborough, this Swallow sat on a fence just feet away from a visitor's rest area, seemingly unconcerned as people came and went.
While we watched the Swallow, someone came over and said, 'there's a baby adder over here'. Well, itwasn't an adder, but a Grass Snake, and it seemed to be in trouble - it's upper jaw was inside a snail shell, while it's lower jaw seemed caught under the shell. One of the RSPB staff carefully pried the shell away, and the snake was able to slide away unharmed, giving us a demonstration of swimming at it went across the pond.
Regular readers will know of my frustration with those people who hang dog poo sacks in trees. Sadly, not even Surrey nor Sussex are immune from this curse, and it seems I'm not the only person disgusted by this habit - one common has a poster to try and get the message across....
On the way back, we stopped off at London Wetland centre, a WWT site. I hesitate to recommend to anyone that they should venture inside the M25, but if you find yourself in the area, it's a lovely place to go - just make sure you allow plenty of time to appreciate the whole area. Oh, and take a pair of ear-plugs in case you meet the same 'posh' birder that we did in one of the hides. She seemed oblivious to the open windows, and addressed everyone in the hide at the same time, as if giving a lecture. LOOK, THERE'S SIX REDSHANK TOGETHER ON THAT ISLAND!!!! While there's usually no need to whisper, a soft, low voice is a a good idea; not only does it not disturb the birds. it also helps to preserve the sanity of other birders! Grrrr... Never mind, we managed to see this lovely Little Ringed Plover, it's striking markings acting as amazingly good camouflage against the stones, before we finally had to run from the hide, our ears covered!
Being in the South-east meant that we couldn't go long before hearing a strangely exotic sqawk from the skies - they're a splash of colour to us dull Northerner's, but the South-east these birds are becoming an issue - they're not native, but seem to be thriving in our slowly warming climate, and I'm told they can both be destructive of property, and have a tendency to drive out truly native birds. Still, nice to see one or two...
Equally colourful, but entirely native, is this Siskin, seen at Vrynwy. Vrynwy is well worth a day out; we were there a few weeks ago, and were treated to a Redstart on a fence by a farm. Be warned though, some of the woodland walks are a bit steep when you're feeling a mite unfit, Good cardiac exercise!
Returning to migrants, for the first time we've been able to pick out Garden Warblers from Blackcaps, and managed to get some sightings as a result. The song of a Garden Warbler is longer and bubblier. Of course, once you've seen the singing bird, the difference is immediately apparent, so striking are the blackcaps. The Gardens are more plain, but have a grey mark behind the heads. This example is from Pensychnant - the place to go if you want peace and quiet in North Wales on a Bank Holiday! Also heard calling was a cuckoo, sadly not seen.
Finally a return to local pastures, and still some more migrants. The first a female Whincat posing on a fence near the salubrious surroundings of Neston Sewage farm. Though disturbed twice by passing dog-walkers, she clearly liked this fence, returning each time. While watching from a distance, I became aware of a movement much closer, barely 5 yards away; a Wheatear was scuttling across right in fron of me, and quite happy to stop and pose for a few moments... The last is a Whitethroat; the scrub behind the sewage farm was alive with this charismatic bird, all finding convenient bush-top perches from which to loudly proclaim their territories
Finally a brief note; there have been complaints in the media of over-enthusiastic birders and photographers using tape-luring - playing back calls of birds in order to provoke a territorial display. For the record, I don't use tape-luring, and the majority of my photos are taken from a distance using maximum zoom.
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