TAKING PICTURES OF CETTI'S WARBLERS.

Cetti's Warblers are cracking birds and are one of my favourites but they are a devil to get a decent shot of. 

We are lucky at Marsh Lane because for the last year or two there has been at least one on site all through the year.The best plan of attack I've found is to discover the circuit it follows then pick one spot and wait till it arrives there.You have to be very patient which I find hard to be.

The trouble is they are a very skulking birds that sing out loudly deep in cover.You might get a glimpse before it flies off.This is the only chance you get to dash off a shot.

Yesterday at Marsh Lane it was illustrated what further problems you can expect to come across when trying for a shot.Twigs in the way ,bird facing the wrong way and gloomy conditions inside the bush.Here are some good examples of this.Mind you always tremendous fun try to get a decent shot.

This is the only shot I got of it in the open.

AN EARLY VISIT TO THE LOCAL PATCH.

Got to Marsh Lane this morning just before 7.00 AM.It was bright but damn cold.I wished I'd still got my thermals on.

A trio of Oystercatchers were holding a noisy meeting in front of the CP hide.

The Cetti's Warbler was in full skulking mood in the apple tree along the causeway.

It was very nice to see some waders in the marsh next to Oak hide.There were 4 Common Sandpipers in there apparently.I only saw 2. 

I then spent a chilly hour in the RW hide trying for Whitethroat shots.I did very well with the Common Whitethroats.

But very poorly with the lone Lesser Whitethroat that was skulking at the back of the RW embankment.What a miserable so and so he is.This is all I got.

Did manage a so so shot of a Sand Martin which was zooming about over the CP as I was leaving.

MARSH LANE AGAIN.

After my early morning visit to Little Packington for the Ring Ouzel I popped in to Marsh Lane again getting there at 9.30 AM.

Pleased to see my first of the year Sand Martins darting round the CP pool

A small flock of Gadwalls (?) were practicing close formation flying over the CP

A Willow Warbler along the causeway looked very fed up.Probably been singing out for days with no luck at all.

On the RW pool there were 4 Med Gulls including these Second Summers.

A RING OUZEL.

Decided early this morning to go after the Ring Ouzel that had been at Little Packington for a few days now but had I yet again left it too late and it had moved on.

Got there not long after 7.30 AM and saw that there were no other cars parked.OH Dear not looking good.

Went through the kissing gate and scanned the field it was on last year through the first gap in the hedge.No site of it after 10 minutes.Must have gone.Damn.

Then I made a big mistake that I seem to do regularly I slipped out of stealth mode and strode down the path to the next gap in the hedge.It was there only 15m  away.Of course it flew off.Damn I could have at last got a decent shot of one of these chaps.

It reappeared not too long later but stayed 50m away so no decent shots and no keepers.Still even though I cocked things up great to see again this year. 

A VERY NICE MORNING AT THE LOCAL PATCH.

Went over to Marsh Lane again this morning getting there not long after 7.00 AM.As I walked to the CP hide I had a text that you wished happened more often.A text telling you that a decent bird was at the place you'd just arrived at.In this case an Avocet was on the RW pool.

I headed there straightaway and met Paul Johnson who had found it and he put me onto it.Here are a few shots of it.Pretty rare at Marsh Lane.

Also present were a couple of Common Sandpipers the first I'd seen for quite a while.

In the back gate coppice I found a Blackcap and got my first shots of the year.The light was not good but I think it's a female.

Right at the back of the railway embankment a Lesser Whitethroat kindly sang out so I could locate it and get some shots.No keepers but great to see.It was ringed.

LOCAL MED GULLS.

Cannot say where these shots were taken but this pair of Med Gulls were very affectionate and made a very handsome couple.