Awaking to a clear, very still morning I
thought it was time to start early and have a listen for Nightingale around the
Stour Valley stopping at Trenleypark Wood just after 4.35 but all that was
heard was a calling Tawny Owl plus the odd corvid and Pheasant. Next stop was
the pull in above Collard’s where a distant Cetti’s Warbler was singing out and
the male Bittern could be heard booming from down in Stodmarsh, no Nightingales’
yet. Arriving at Grove at 5.45 I was surprised to find that Alan was not on
site so made my way to the Ramp alone, as I passed by the last bus before the
Paddocks a Nightingale exploded into song, a very pleasant sound. Many a Song
Thrush and Blackbird were also in song and also well above 30 Sedge Warblers
now on the reserve bring some life back in to the place. The Ramp pool had 10
Tufted Duck, 2 Shelduck, 4 Wigeon and the usual Teal, Mallard, Shoveler and
Gadwall for company but no sign of any Garganey. The Feast hide held only 3
Tufted Duck a drake Pochard, 2 Greylags, 2 Teal and a Coot on its nest. I moved
on to Harrison’s Drove hide where, I was joined by Adam Faiers where added a
single Greenshank, 8 Snipe and 2 Redshank. From here we moved on to the Marsh
hide adding Kestrel, 7 Marsh Harriers, several Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Linnet
while at the hide there were 2 more Greenshanks, 1 Ruff, 2 Snipe and 4 Canada
Geese.
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| Chiffchaff |
Moving on we were hoping to add Willow Warbler to the list but by the time
we had reached ‘Dads’ bench we hadn’t located any. Another birding couple said
they thought they may have had a Grasshopper Warbler in the car park and, although
not photographed the chap had sound recorded it on his camera. Sure enough it
was one so we hastily made our way to the spot the had suggested and there we
came across the Grasshopper Warbler in fine voice although at times difficult
to see being in cover and a bit mobile , we did get good views of as it reeled we also had another (brief) Nightingale here.
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| Marsh Harrier |
A large flock of some 60+ Swallows and Sand Martins were feeding over the lake
where 2 Great-crested Grebes and 23 Tufted Ducks were feeding. At the Water Meadows,
where we were met by Chiddy, there were 3 Green Sandpipers, 1 Black-tailed
Godwit and a Grey Heron.
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| Sedge Warbler |
Chiddy had discovered a Whitethroat on his way along
the river that we hoped to pick up on our return and retracing our route we
added 2 Sparrowhawks, a few Blackcaps a couple of Reed Warblers, 3 Wheatears
behind Harrison’s and that , or another Common Whitethroat on the corner of the
Paddocks where the path meets the river.
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
