Bluethroat.
Another busy Saturday saw me heading to Welney in the hope of connecting with the White Spotted Bluethroat , on the road not far from the reserve i saw a really smart Barn Owl , unfortunately i must of spooked it as it took to flight before i could get any photos .
It was great watching it hawking over the fields and along a dyke , i arrived at Welney and made my way to the area of the reserve where the Bluethroat has set up territory and after checking out its more favoured haunts another birder came across it perched in a willow tree , lovely blue throat with reddish just below , white central spot was very evident and reddish tail markings were also seen , it was also calling which is the first time i have heard this call , i watched it for 5 mins when it flew out of sight , i also encountered a rather fast flying Cuckoo which was a first for the year , on the way back to the car i was treated to 15 + House Martins and 2 Sand Martins , and when back at the car i heard then saw a fine Corn Bunting , i also managed a photo of a Pied Wagtail
Pied Wagtail.
I then headed to the nearby Ouse Washes Rspb reserve and it was not long before i picked out the quite smart looking Blue-Winged Teal , it was keeping company with a female Shoveler and was very flighty , unringed and showed no sign of any wing abrasion .
Blue Winged Teal.
I also heard Cuckoo here and i year ticked 2 Little Ringed Plovers which was a nice bonus, i also saw several Little Egrets and there were plenty of Sedge Warblers in good voice , my final destination of the day was on the way back home ( sort off ) , i went to Two Tree Island for the 1st summer Night Heron , on arriving at the car park l instantly picked up the reeling call of a nearby Grasshopper Warbler , i then made my way around the entrance and eventually i saw it perched in a distant bush reeling away , its tail was vibrating along with its throat whilst it reeled away , i also heard and saw several Common Whitethroats here , before i reached the pool the heron had been favouring i heard the superb song of a Nightingale what a treat !!!
The news was rather mixed when i arrived at the pool . it was still there but not in view , damn , my experience with herons is pretty much the same as everyone else , we all know they can sit for hours , well i wasn't wrong nearly 3 hours later i managed to see it underneath a small tree , it was very tricky to see and i only managed to get one really conclusive sighting of it , with time against me i headed back to the car very happy after a really great days birding with all target birds bagged , i heard the Grasshopper warbler again as i approached the car .
