Christine's walking & birds blog

I think we reached 17℃ today! I certainly ventured out without thermal underwear - and that's an important milestone in the progress of my year.

A wheatear (a different one from the original bird) was at the point.


Among seaweedy rocks where the tide had fallen, a turnstone was foraging.


A redshank flew across the river to a small pool on the spit - and as I snapped it, a second, unseen bird answered its calls.


I returned home via the dog-walking field; I had it to myself and enjoyed the songs of willow warblers and blackcaps - but there was no reeling from the undergrowth announcing the presence of a grasshopper warbler. I can't agree when I see this song described as "monotonous" (although technically, I suppose, it is precisely that!). I find it exciting. I've found three grasshopper warblers in three different locations since we moved here; each time the reeling came as a huge surprise as I wasn't looking for grasshopper warblers on these occasions, and I hope I hear it again this spring.