Monday, August 04, 2008

Right on my Doorstep...all this time????


Having believed the Grasshopper Warblers to have departed in a weather window I went out tonight to view over the valley, only on my midge bitten descent to be shocked to hear at least 1 reeling again. Went in search but didn't show before I was driven back my the midges, it begs the question when did they arrive? Matt had 2 and until recently most evenings I was returning home late and leaving in the morning in a car, so I do wonder if they have been here all summer long?? They maybe elusive but I still think it's a touch embarrassing, at least they didn't go completely undetected.
Pick is one of a bird taken elsewhere, just put it on to brighten things up.

2 comments:

Nick Carter said...

Cracking photo Andy!

Alastair said...

Andrew,
My experience is that they can be very elusive. They frequently sing only at night. I have had several experiences of finding adults feeding young at this time of year at sites I have visited regularly and not heard them prior. On one occasion I found young being fed and the recorder for the site refused to believe me and rejected my record because he hadn't seen them previously - he didn't do night birding.