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Well, I talked that up!

Finally, Marsh Warbler week delivered on the patch. A message from Tim alerted me to the presence of a local bird so I headed down that evening (first time out of the house for a few days due to virus!) and in breezy but bright conditions I watched a male singing amongst a scrubby reedbed. I made a few notes of birds imitated: Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Common Tern, Swift, Wren, Oystercatcher, Reed Bunting, Swallow, Icterine Warbler (?) and Zitting Cisticola (?). The bird was seen well enough to observe the rump and pale fringes to tertial feathers. Also around were 2 Cuckoo.  I wonder as to the bird's origins. The species imitated are all resident in Northern France, Belgium and the low countries. I could not make out any Mediterranean species amongst its repertoire. Further birds have been recorded at a few locations on the Suffolk coast, and one at Strumpshaw Fen this Spring. I would tentatively suggest this bird has overshot its usual breeding patch by only a short distance as the Crow flies. No doubt this will go down as a highlight of the year, and to be honest will be tough to top.

This morning I walked a little aimlessly through light drizzle at an increasingly humid Surlingham Church Marsh. A Coot was with 4 young on the lagoon, and a young Water Rail squealed. A Common Tern was hawking over the small patch of water, and in song were Chiffcaff, Blackcap and Reed Warbler. Perhaps looking for second broods.

Red Kite update- 1 at Hales and 1 at Stockton this past week.

I smashed through the 100 Moth count this morning, and after a recount also managed over 50 species. NFM was the understated Water Ermine, a Broadland specialist. New for the year were Dark Arches, Rosy Footman, Ghost (a female, but notoriously hard to rear any caterpillars that may follow the eggs) and Small Angles Shades amongst others. Looking forward to another overnight trap and a morning walk round Rockland tomorrow.

Next weekend, I am staying with a friend who is conveniently located in the heartland of the Black Hairstreak with Wood White nearby. It would be silly not to, so I look forward to a couple of days in pursuit of Butterflies and probably some ale in Oundle.

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