An unusual record this morning of a singing Reed Warbler in the Millennium Wood and still singing in roughly the same spot when I came back this afternoon, 3.5 hours later. I wonder if this is an example of 1st summer bird on a practice run north?
I’ve had this discussion down at Portland Bird Observatory with the “Prof” and Martin in past years and here I quote from a blog entry by Martin from the 31st May this year.
“If ever there's a characteristic sound of the late spring at Portland it has to be the constant chuntering of a Reed Warbler; we have some ringing evidence to suggest that these late arrivals include a lot of the previous year's youngsters that are presumably making exploratory trips northward way after the main passage of breeding adults has finished. For whatever reason they always seem perfectly happy to sing all day in inappropriate habitat and it's an odd feature that they're often rooted to the same bush or tree they pitched up in: we didn't ever see/hear today's bird at the Obs leave one small clump of trees - it was singing there at dawn and it was still singing there when we left at the end of the afternoon”
Source: Martin Cade and Professor Pete Morgan.
Some activity over the hill today with approx. 100 Swift and c8 House Martin moving south. Local movement? Failed breeders moving south? Or something else?
2 Raven drifted high north over the hill, calling as they went.
Pied Wagtail feeding around the garden today and a Goldcrest singing late afternoon.
Mammals: Brown Hare, Roe Deer and Short-tailed Vole.
Reps: 1 Common Lizard.
Butterflies: Holly Blue, a single Red Admiral and several Speckled Wood.
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