Friday, October 08, 2010

"A small, rather nondescript bird...(pronounced chetty)..."


Well, no beating about the bush today (must be a pun in there somewhere...) Halfway House continues to surprise and add, everso slowly, more species to the year list. Mallard numbers have doubled in the space of two days (114), a male Shoveler and a single Redshank have appeared... and just disappeared and there are still dribbles of Skylarks over south with a sprinkling of Pied Wags and Meadow Pipit. Things picked a little later when a skein of about 250 Pinkfeet went over (only had a 'plastic' one in the first winter period) adding one to the year tally (132)... and then it happened. Who should appear but Mully, with news that Den was on the way too. Good stuff, a trebling of eyes and ears imminent. No sooner had we exchanged the customary pleasantries though when 'chit, chit chut, chett...' and silence from the bushes behind. "What was that? Sounded a bit Cetti-ish". Quick tiptoe to the canal path to view the bushes and 'chit, chit chut, chetty, chetty, chetty, chit' Bugger me! It WAS a Cetti's Warbler. Only the third patch record! Well, I hadn't expected that. Den arrived as it piped up again. Excellent. For the next half an hour or so it obligingly sang on and off and gave fleeting views. Song was less explosive than in birds on territory and in quite long, repetetive streams. None of the usual long gaps. I'm thinking young bird maybe. Either way, bloody marvellous and patch year tick 133. Happy Days :)

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