Summer?

A quick trip in the morning to Maridalen in hot sunshine revealed the Blyth’s Reed singing strongly but nearly invisibly in its favoured bush plus Marsh Warblers at two locations. An Icterine Warbler was again singing strongly suggesting it is a new arrival but Rosefinches were silent suggesting that egg laying has commenced. A Snipe “drumming” overhead was unexpected in such weather at this time of the year.

With the heat today and relative lack of activity from the commoner birds it does feel like we have moved into summer and left spring behind.

At the Lapwing (and now Corncrake) field a fox was hunting in the long grass by jumping up and down and surprisingly there were no adult Lapwings mobbing it which I think mut be a bad sign with regards the survival of youngsters. On Saturday I saw there were at least two quite large youngsters but today all I saw was two adults. There could of course be many birds hiding in the grass but I fear the fox (and the valleys cats) have taken their toll.

the Blyth's Reed (busksanger) is very skulky although allows close approach

spot the Blyth's

the Marsh Warbler (myrsanger) on the other hand sits in the open but does not allow close approach

when in the shade, and in a bush, the Marsh can look Blyth's like