Somerset songsters

A wonderfully sunny day on the Somerset Levels and every bush, tree and reed-bed was full of bird song.   Many of the summer migrants have now arrived and so there were warblers absolutely everywhere.

On this reserve, Cetti warblers are common and when I took some photos of a small brown bird chasing another I assumed that that was what it was.  It is only when I looked back at my photographs that I realised that the males in question might be grasshopper warblers/sedge warblers...what do yo think?

They usually skulk in the depths of the undergrowth (except when singing), but this individual was chasing a rival and was more intent on seeing him off than worrying about me being there...a rare opportunity indeed.

The male chiff-chaffs and the willow warblers (below) often find a prominent perch from which to advertise for females and proclaim their territorial rights.

The blackcaps can often be another member of the skulker's club, but whilst the branches are bare they find it hard to conceal themselves, so now is the best time to spot them.

 

Numerous butterflies are now at large. Peacocks and whites are the most common, and are also joined by the spectacularly bright brimstones (see previous blogs).  Here a speckled-wood alights momentarily in a sunny patch of bracken.

I really like whitethroats but they mainly evaded me today - here is a distant one.

No day on the marshes would be complete without a marsh harrier fly-by and today was no exception.  Another highlight, the bitterns, were also booming and an occasional flock of sand martins chirruped by, along with the odd swallow.

Even our common residents looked resplendent in the bright sunshine, such as this chaffinch, long-tailed tit, dunnock and blue tit.