Much of what I saw in the woods was seen only fleetingly as
the foliage is now becoming quite dense with the continuing fine warm weather.
All the regular woodland species were seen or heard, including my third
different pair of Marsh Tits in the space of a week. I use to think them quite
uncommon, but now I am beginning to change my mind. I also came across yet
another very obliging Treecreeper!! Visitors included Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler,
and Chiffchaff.
Listening to a male Chiffchaff calling from the top of a
tree, I was suddenly aware of a response coming from somewhere in a group of
coppiced willows close to my position. The bird call was not familiar, and the
bird didn’t show itself at all in the twenty minutes or so that I observed. My
guess is that this may have been a female letting the male know that all was
alright, but if you know differently then please leave a comment.
Up away from the wood where the trees thin and open farmland
begins, I came across a terrific Tree Pipit singing from individual hawthorns
before taking to the air and parachuting back with typically both feet
dangling. All that flying and singing take energy. But why expend more energy
catching food when it comes close enough not to have to move. So it was for
this bird when a swarm of St Mark’ flies came wandering past. The Tree Pipit
simply helped itself.
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