Despite a number of showers, I very much enjoyed spending a whole day out on the nature trail yesterday as part of our nightingale festival.
I set up camp around the entrance to Fattengates courtyard and endeavoured to find everyone who passed by a nightingale. There are 2 males singing in this area - one using the area of bramble and sallows to the left hand side of the path and the other in the courtyard itself. Both of these birds showed well when singing (although understandably they did retreat to the cover the scrub during rain showers).
I also remembered just how much you can see and hear if you just stay in one place and let the birds come to you...
A lovely willow warbler sang relentlessly throughout the day, favouring one of the taller birches as his stage. A smart blackcap sang from the small oak by the pond and a lesser whitethroat rattled from the hedgerow. Thankfully he eventually revealed himself to a very patient visitor who had spent an hour or so with me hoping that the more elusive of our whitethroat species would put in an appearance. Chiffchaff 'chiff-chaffed', common whitethroat sang their scratchy little tune, wrens shouted, dunnocks trilled and goldcrests reeled from the tops of the conifers. I also saw my first cuckoo of the year - I've heard a couple in the last week or so - but this one flew directly overhead.
A feisty little wren.
A common whitethroat
Thanks to Chris Prince for the photos!
Throughout our nightingale festival week we'll have staff and volunteers helping you to find and identify, but most importantly, enjoy the fabulous birdsong on the reserve.
If you're up for an early start, we do still have a few places left on this Saturday's dawn chorus walk - as a reward for the early start (4 am) we warm you up with tea/coffee and a proper cooked breakfast on your return! If you'd like to book, just give us a ring at the visitor centre on 01798 875851.
Also reported on the reserve yesterday was a single swift, also swallows and house martins. The pair of garganey are still on site although they are a little tricksy at times lurking in the ditches or behind vegetation. Currently you have the best chance of seeing them from Hail's View - our new(ish) viewpoint accessed from the heathland trail. Look from here also for our first brood of lapwing chicks. Hopefully there will be more, although the rising water levels following rain, may have threatened a few of the nests.