Paul's Birding Diary

Friday 19th June 2015 Melodious Warbler - posing nicely I travelled to the West Midlands this afternoon to meet up with Paul Fitzgerald and do a bit of a twitch. After eight days, the singing male MELODIOUS WARBLER at Marsh Lane, near Hampton in Arden, was thankfully still present. A very obliging bird, and regularly singing its incredibly varied song, it was a real joy to observe. Further interest was provided by a Hobby overhead and a Painted Lady . It favoured a perch near the top of the foliage Singing for quite extended periods - the song full of mimicry What a beauty   The MW favours these bushes, along the bridleway east of the A452 at GR SP227803, south of Mill Covert: Habitat view After having our fill, Paul took me to the fantastic nearby Marsh Lane Nature Reserve. The best bird here was a summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe , present for its second day on Railway Pool. We had to avoid parking in the car park as a Little Ringed Plover pair h...

Friday 5th June 2015 Use your Emargination (apologies, I couldn't resist that one!) After  hearing it and seeing it only briefly on Tuesday evening, I went for another look at the Reed Warbler at Saul Junction at lunchtime. It has a very varied song, recalling at times Marsh, but for me it isn't that unusual but interesting nonetheless. It splits it's time singing-wise between the hawthorn bushes and the reeds nearer the path. It seems that when it is in the reeds its song has more of the chug-chug type notes that when it is in the bushes. Perhaps it is auditioning as a Marsh Warbler - but it will never be one :) There is an excellent comparison of Reed and Marsh on the Portland Bird Obs website here which I found extremely useful: http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/bpp_marsh_vs_reed_warbler_310506.htm A very obliging bird A good view of remiges - note the positioning of the emargination (on p3) and claws - long Posing nicely Here's a bit of footage ...

Friday 15th May 2015 Hairy Dragonfly Some photos here I took at Frampton on a sunny afternoon off shortly before my holiday. Azure Damselfly Helophilus pendulus hoverfly Orange-tip