This has to be the Nightingale capital of the UK. Several birds were singing as I walked around and tried to escape the hordes and find a peaceful spot…..
The first bird out in the open was sadly high up in the canopy but I would have settled for this after encountering one or two unseen ‘in the depths of the bushes’, noisy lurkers!
Eventually I found a small glade where one bird had a habit of returning…. and waited…… After 20 minutes or so, boy did I score big time. After singing in the depths of the brambles, I finally had a Nightingale singing it’s heart out, on top of the bramble patch and less than 20 metres away!
Another phenomenon I’ve noticed with Nightingales before – it soon started singing on one leg! This can’t be that unusual for me to notice it and I can’t say I’ve seen other birds routinely do this whilst singing!
My favourite of a very similar series and a close up crop.....
At least a dozen Common Terns over the water, a brief view of Cetti’s Warbler and at least three Garden Warblers (one below) singing were more additions for the year. Never mind the Nightingales, Little Paxton is also a real haven for Warblers too. Good numbers of Blackcap, Whitethoat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff plus a single Lesser Whitethroat all in full song….
A couple of hours well spent.....
