SINGING DUOS

The sunshine of recent days came to an abrupt end on Sunday 25th. This holly blue butterfly was found clinging to some leaves while the branches swayed back and forth in the freshening wind. Sunday was not a day for butterflies what with a heavy downpour in the morning followed by grey skies for the rest of the day.

Despite the weather it was pleasing to hear both male nightingales singing from opposite ends of the car park. I had presumed the singing season had finished for them as they've been a bit quiet for the last few days. In fact the one near the cliff-top hadn't been heard for nearly a fortnight. The nightingale by the park entrance was still singing loudly at least until darkness fell, as the park was being locked up for the night.

Not much opportunity to get beyond the car park today so a swift, lesser whitethroat and a couple of whitethroats were the only birds noted.

More unusually, the distinctive reeling sound of a grasshopper warbler was unexpectedly heard at dusk coming from the rough set-aside strip behind the car park. The sound appeared to be coming from the middle of the field about fifty metres away. This is the first time one has been heard from this corner of the field.

Driving away from the park at dusk, I stopped the car at the field edge of set-aside near Cosways and could hear the faint reeling song of the other grasshopper warbler, first heard a fortnight ago. I wonder if the bird heard near the park this evening was the second bird that was heard singing a fortnight ago by Cosways. Both grasshoppers singing this evening were about 500 metres apart with a great expanse of winter wheat separating them.

It was worth getting out of the car for a better listen of the grasshopper warbler as I immediately came face to face with a badger in the long grass! As I walked a few paces away from the car, I could see in the fading light a badger coming in my direction, so I quickly crouched down. The badger bounded through the long grass and then stopped dead in its tracks about 7 metres away from me, after spotting my strange crouching posture! After briefly sniffing the air, it turned quickly away and jogged off in the opposite direction, disappearing into the long grass.

In the car park at dusk yesterday, Saturday, a little owl was seen perching tightly to overhead wires that swayed in the wind. A couple of pipistrelle bats were seen flying around the car park as darkness fell.