Wildlife sightings in Sambourne 2023
Early December 2022 to mid-January 2023
The substantial rainfall over the past few weeks has turned footpaths and the woodland bridleway into a quagmire, so this month’s observations have largely been from the roads or garden. This doesn’t mean that there has been nothing to attract our attention.
12th Dec. It was pleasing to note that we still have regular visits to the garden by Greenfinches. On this frosty morning four fed on sunflower hearts.
14th Dec. We did manage a walk through the woods and came across ten Fallow Deer. There were five does, three mature stags with fine antlers and three with just antler buds.
18th Dec. A Redwing feasted on pyracantha berries in our garden. A Song Thrush visited the garden briefly.
20th Dec. We had a surprise encounter with a Little Egret that was feeding beside the brook that passes under Wike Lane at the entrance to the village. We stood just a few metres away and watched for several minutes.
21st Dec. Definitely the most noteworthy item this month was witnessed by Pete in his Middletown Lane garden. A chicken carcass that he threw out for corvids to scavenge received a visit from a Red Kite. The Kite returned a little later in the day. Kites are thought to have been scavengers in the streets of London up to the 18th century, but as far as I know this is a first for Sambourne.
23rd Dec. At 9 am the garden was so full of birds in a feeding frenzy I wouldn’t have been able to count them had it been the RSPB Big Birdwatch day [27-29 January 2023].
26th Dec. Near neighbours Pat and John mentioned that they had excellent views of a Snipe in their garden shortly before Christmas. They commented on the beautiful markings in the plumage. The other main feature of course is the extraordinarily long bill used for probing for their invertebrate prey.
2nd Jan. I know we’re in mid-winter, but it’s good to see catkins fattening in the hedgerows, snowdrops blooming in Pat and John’s garden and a first anemone flower in ours.
5th Jan. A Sparrowhawk flew though our garden, pausing briefly on the back hedge before being chased off by two crows. Pete mentioned having witnessed similar harassment. Later, we spotted three Roe Deer grazing in a field off Wike Lane.
8th Jan. Pete was fortunate to have a male Bullfinch visit his Middletown Lane garden. The pink/red breast contrasting with grey, black, and white is something to behold!
9th Jan. A lady resident of Middletown Lane pointed out a single daffodil fully in flower in a Wike Lane verge. We later spotted a Treecreeper and two Goldcrests in trees nearby.
Mid-January 2023 to mid-February 2023
Catkins are fattening in the hedgerows, pussy willow is becoming evident and the first spring bulbs are flowering, so springtime can’t be too far away. However, there are still some winter treats to be enjoyed and we were fortunate enough to have a few visit our garden as we did our “Big Garden Birdwatch”.
12th Jan. As we walked along Wike Lane we noticed two Yellowhammers, some Meadow Pipits, a flock of Redwings and a mixed flock of tits and finches. Rooks are becoming active at the rookery beside Coughton ford.
17th Jan. On this frosty morning, a male and a female Great Spotted Woodpecker visited our garden peanut feeder. Next came our first Lesser Redpoll of the winter to join the tits and Chaffinches, before the garden was cleared of small birds by the appearance of a Sparrowhawk.
18th Jan. As we drove along Wike Lane in darkness we glimpsed a Tawny Owl then had a good view of a Muntjac crossing the road.
23rd Jan. A few Lapwings were feeding amongst the sheep in a field beside Coughton Lane in Coughton.
25th Jan. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming loudly in our neighbour’s garden. A Redpoll briefly visited our garden.
27th Jan. From Wike Lane we watched six Roe Deer run alongside the hedgerow before crossing the lane into the woods.
29th Jan. Our Big Garden Birdwatch resulted in a reasonable tally of fifteen species with the highlight being the arrival of four Lesser Redpolls just before the end of our session. They are not common visitors to our garden, and only ever appear in winter. I put out a tray of suet nibbles, but no birds showed any interest while we did our count. A couple of hours later the tray was mysteriously empty. Later that day, around dusk, a bat flew over the garden.
5th Feb. The mystery of the disappearing suet nibbles has been solved. I put out some more and soon saw a Carrion Crow land on the edge of the tray and clear the whole lot in one sitting! Later, I had a distant view of a Kingfisher from the footbridge beside the ford at Coughton.
7th Feb. As we walked the footpath behind Sambourne Hall Farm we noticed a male Linnet feeding on dried blackberries on top of the hedgerow. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming nearby. At home we watched three Robins interacting and posturing – presumably a territory or mating dispute.
Mid-February 2023 to mid-March 2023
We’ve seen more signs of springtime, with wild garlic sprouting in the verges and lambs bouncing around in the field beside Coughton Field Lane, but the recent frost and snow tells us that winter hasn’t given up yet.
12th Feb. Peter from Coughton described a diving duck that he’d noticed in the river in Bidford on Avon. The description fitted a Tufted Duck – a common resident.
13th Feb. On this sunny afternoon we noticed one Fallow Deer and a Peacock butterfly beside Coughton Park woods. Bats, presumably Pipistrelles, were flying over our garden at dusk.
16th Feb. Angela mentioned that when walking Freddie in local woodland they came across twenty deer – probably Fallow judging by more recent reports.
17th Feb. As we arrived at the Church room for the evening of wine-tasting, we heard a Barn Owl call nearby.
24th Feb. A party of three Lesser Redpolls spent much of the day in the garden devouring sunflower seed hearts.
27th Feb. The Redpolls are now a constant presence in the garden. Four Yellowhammers were in the same spot as yesterday. We noticed a herd of twenty-four Fallow Deer emerge from the woods and run a circuit of the adjacent field before returning to the woods.
1st Mar. We have a dilemma over whether or not to keep an oversize apple tree in the garden. We counted six species of birds in it at one time today, so they seem to be telling us that it should stay!
3rd Mar. Bird numbers in the garden seem to be at a peak with feeders being emptied within a day. Roy watched a Red Kite
4th Mar. We spotted a large mixed flock of Fieldfares and Redwings in a field off Wike Lane and wondered if they were preparing to return to Scandinavia for the breeding season. Corin managed to capture video of about forty Fallow Deer running across a field beside Wike Lane.
5th Mar. We noticed two Siskins bathing in the brook where it passes under Wike Lane at the entrance to the village.
7th Mar. We spotted a Meadow Pipit perched on a power cable near Glebe Farm.
12th Mar. We saw our first lambs in a field in Coughton near the ford.
Mid-March 2023 to mid-April 2023
The past month has been typical of early spring with a variety of weather conditions. Warm, sunny spells have brought out some butterflies, and summer migrant birds have begun to arrive.
17th March. Our first Chiffchaff of the year was calling in a tree in Wike Lane. Pete from Middletown Lane also heard one on the same day.
18th March. We heard Skylarks as they performed their song flight off Sambourne Lane near the cricket ground.
19th March. Chiffchaffs were singing in several locations along Wike Lane, and a tree near the village green was being visited by a Chiffchaff, a Treecreeper, a Nuthatch, and Blue and Long-tailed Tits.
20th March. We watched two Grey Wagtails chasing insects by the ford in Coughton.
On many occasions we’ve noticed a pair of Mallards paddling in the puddly roadside in Sambourne Lane near the cemetery in Coughton, unperturbed by passing vehicles and pedestrians.
21st March. Pete mentioned having seen a Red Kite flying overhead and a Stock Dove in his garden.
23rd March. I was pleased to note six Greenfinches feeding in our garden.
29th/30th March. We had a short stay in Pembrokeshire and, although the weather was far from favourable, we did manage a couple of walks on the coast path. On our first walk we were not hopeful of seeing anything as it was quite misty, but to our surprise as we were on a grassy headland our attention was attracted by the very distinctive call of a Chough – very much our hoped-for species. We spotted a pair of them only about ten metres away, probing the ground with their long, curved, red bills for their invertebrate food. We later saw a pair of Stonechats on a gorse bush.
2nd April. A Roe Deer was in Wike Lane, and we saw our first Brimstone butterfly of the year in our garden.
4th April. Postman Richard told us that he had just seen his first Swallow of the year perched on a wire by the Green Dragon.
5th April. Now a rare garden species for us, a small flock of Starlings descended on our freshly cut lawn to probe for invertebrates.
7th April. Pete saw House Martins flying over his Middletown Lane home. Janet and Roger have seen a Swallow by their Wike Lane home. We noticed the welcome hum of busy bees visiting pussy willow and blackthorn blossom in Wike Lane.
11th April. An early walk to Coughton was rewarded with our first two Swallows in Wike Lane, and then the sight of a pair of Goosanders swimming and diving in the river Arrow by the ford. As we watched these birds, a Kingfisher came into view.
Mid-April 2023 to mid-May 2023
The rainy and rather cool past month has limited our opportunities for observing the natural world around us. The field and woodland paths have been so muddy that our walks have mostly been on tarmac.
I forgot to note last month that Peter (Coughton resident) mentioned having observed a couple of crows showing unusual interest in hole in a tree. After a short time, a Grey Squirrel popped its head out, and the crows were clearly taking exception to its presence.
16th April. Stuart and Jenny told us that they had seen a Red Kite flying over their Perrymill Lane garden last week.
17th April. A Great Spotted Woodpecker has decided on a change of diet and has switched to our sunflower heart feeder in preference to the peanut feeder. A female Goosander is still present on the river Arrow by the ford in Coughton.
19th April. We had a walk along part of the Worcester and Birmingham canal from north Worcester towards Droitwich and heard the loud song of a Cetti’s Warbler. Pete reported having had a Blackcap in his Middletown Lane garden for the past three days.
20th April.
22nd April. We first heard its song then saw a male Blackcap in the hedgerow along Wike Lane.
23rd April. Cowslips seem to be at their peak, with swathes of them on the embankments beside the A46 towards Evesham. Bluebells are also starting to bloom in the verges and woods.
25th April. A flock of about twenty House Martins was feeding near the ford at Coughton. A little further on along Coughton Fields Lane we observed a Chiffchaff at close quarters as it seemed quite unconcerned about our presence.
29th April. Aubretia flowers in our garden provided sustenance for an Orange-tip.
4th May. As we walked along Sambourne Lane towards the cricket ground we could hear constant Skylark song from above the adjacent fields.
7th May. As yet nobody has reported having heard the call of a Cuckoo locally, but at least our sister-in-law has heard one at Shapwick Heath on the Somerset Levels.
Mid-May 2023 to mid-June 2023
The previous month’s weather was mostly cool and wet, but in contrast the past month has been dry and, at times, hot. It seemed to be that we were not going to hear the call of a Cuckoo this year, but Nick heard one on 13th May and since then a number of villagers have been delighted to hear it from around the village. Angela has heard it almost daily up to the time of writing these notes.
18th May (late). Chris heard a tapping on his Middletown Lane window and, on investigation, found a party of Pipistrelle bats hunting moths attracted to the light.
24th May. We ventured away from Sambourne for a couple of days to visit with friends the RSPB’s St Aidan’s wetland reserve near Leeds.
25th May. Pete had a Roe Deer visiting his Middletown Lane garden.
28th May. He noticed a Red Kite flying overhead and has been continuing to hear a Cuckoo on most days.
29th May. We saw many Common Spotted Orchids flowering in a meadow by the Monarch’s Way footpath.
2nd June. Warmer weather is bringing the butterflies out. A Holly Blue appeared in our garden this morning, and we saw two Small Heaths on the Monarch’s Way. Here, we also saw a female (bronze-coloured) Beautiful Demoiselle damselfly.
3rd June. A Small Copper butterfly briefly visited our garden.
4th June. I tried a first run of my moth trap overnight. I was slightly disappointed to find just one Heart and Dart moth and three Pale Tussocks, although the latter are quite attractive. It had been quite a chilly night. On a sunny afternoon walk along the footpath to Coughton we saw a male (blue) Beautiful Demoiselle and a Mayfly. I think it was the species known by anglers as “Green Drake”. A Reed Warbler was singing from the reedbed at Coughton Court.
5th June. As we walked along Wike Lane we were accompanied by continuous Cuckoo calls, and we spotted it in a tree on the far side of a field.
In the meadow by the Monarch’s Way many more Common Spotted Orchids were in flower.
6th June. An adult Great Spotted Woodpecker visited our garden with a youngster.
7th June. A Pied Wagtail fed two young on our patio wall. Chris reported ten Swallows lined up on an overhead power line, and Toads in his garden. Pete saw a Fox in his garden.
11th June. During the “Shakespeare on The Green” performance, the Cuckoo could still be heard calling in the distance.
Mid-June 2023 to mid-July 2023
The most unusual item this month was a report from Rob that he noticed a dead Dormouse near Wood Terrace. This is extraordinary because Warwickshire Wildlife Trust information suggests that there is only one known tiny population of the species in the county, although there are a couple of attempts at reintroduction.
13th – 15th June.
17th June. We heard a Cuckoo calling, and Angela has been hearing it daily up to this time.
18th June. Marbled Whites have now appeared by the Monarch’s Way, and a Fallow Deer was on the bridleway through the woods.
19th June. Delaying our walk for cooler conditions in the evening paid off as we had good views of two Hares near the woodland.
20th June. On an early evening walk along Wike Lane we noticed tiny froglets crossing the road. We helped as many as possible to the safety of the verge.
11th June. Janet mentioned that another brood of Great Tits had successfully fledged from the most unusual nest site of a traffic cone on the ground.
23rd June. Angela has continued to hear a Cuckoo calling daily until yesterday.
24th June. Overnight I had the first run of my moth trap and found it had attracted my most impressive moth yet – a Pine Hawk moth. What it lacked in colour it made up for in size and subtlety of markings.
25th June. On a woodland and Monarch’s Way walk we saw butterfly species including Silver-washed Fritillary, Comma, Marbled White, Small Skipper and Ringlet.
27th June. An Old Lady moth, normally nocturnal, was flying around our garden in the afternoon.
9th July. We noticed eleven species of butterfly, including Gatekeepers for the first time this year, on our morning woodland walk.
10th July. I was sad to see a Pied Wagtail consuming a Small Tortoiseshell in our garden.
11th July. Ann saw a Red Kite over her house by the village green. We watched four Goldcrests feeding in a tree in Wike Lane.
Mid-July 2023 to mid-August 2023
The generally unsettled and cool weather of July has hardly been conducive to enjoying the natural world to the full, but there have still been some interesting things to see.
14th July. A rare visitor to our patio was a Song Thrush. At dusk it sang loud and long from a neighbour’s tree.
15th July. Not for the first time, I noticed a Pied Wagtail devouring a butterfly in our garden.
17th July. We saw many butterflies from the woodland bridleway. Species included Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Red Admirals, Commas, Gatekeepers, Large and Small Whites and Silver-washed Fritillaries. A Speckled Bush Cricket was on our washing line at home.
19th July. Another profusion of butterflies was apparent to us on a circular walk from Hanbury Hall,
24th July. Peter (from Coughton) mentioned Swans with cygnets on a pool at Coughton Court. We have subsequently seen them.
27th July. It was pleasing to note that the area of harebells that grow by the field path to Coughton appears to be expanding.
31st July. There were five Pied Wagtails in the garden today, perhaps attracted by the large number of butterflies. They won’t be popular if they take too many!
8th Aug. A Blackcap considered that the breeding season isn’t over yet as he was singing loudly in Wike Lane.
9th Aug. Our neighbour David had a close encounter with a Muntjac that was showing no road sense in Jill Lane.
10th Aug. I ran my moth trap overnight and found two species I’ve not seen before – an Iron Prominent and a Pebble Hook-tip. The Black Arches was a welcome repeat visitor.
11th Aug. We enjoyed a 7-mile circular walk from the Worcs Wildlife Trust Trench Wood reserve and along the canal to Tibberton. At one point a Red Kite flew overhead, and as we returned to the wood, we met a butterfly photographer. He mentioned the presence of Purple Hairstreak, Brown Hairstreak, White-letter Hairstreak and Wood White butterflies, but they all seemed to have eluded him so far that morning.
13th Aug. We had the pleasure of watching a large flock of Swallows swooping and wheeling over our garden on this warm evening. This was the most Swallows we have seen all summer.
Mid-August 2023 to mid-September 2023
The second half of August continued with the generally mixed weather theme, but early September brought a return of summer warmth.
14th Aug. Many Speckled Wood butterflies were on the wing in the woods. They all looked very bright, so were presumably a fresh emergence. It’s interesting to note that the species has a number of broods in a year while some other species, such as the Orange Tip, have only one.
16th Aug. On an evening walk to and through the woods we saw a Roe Deer and a Hare.
17th Aug. We had a breakfast time distraction when four Chiffchaffs appeared in our garden and were swinging around on the seed heads of ornamental grasses. They normally feed on insects, so perhaps they had found something living in the grasses.
23rd Aug. On an evening walk to the woods, we saw two Muntjacs and a Hare in a field,
24th Aug. We stopped for a brief conversation with a couple of Heart of England Forest volunteers who were carrying out a butterfly survey. They commented that in addition to the species that we have seen, they had previously noted Purple Emperors, White Admirals and Purple Hairstreaks in Coughton Park wood.
28th Aug. We noticed some Buzzards in a field by the woods where the crop had just been harvested. Several flocks of Swallows were chasing insects, and Richard (Postman) mentioned having seen 100+ Swallows perched on a rooftop in Jill Lane. Tilling of the field behind us brought in a large flock of gulls that consisted mostly of Common Gulls with a few much larger Herring Gulls.
7th Sept. I ran my moth trap overnight last night and the noteworthy catches were a Marbled Carpet moth (no – they don’t attack carpets!) and a Setaceous Hebrew Character moth. At first glance I thought I had caught two Hornet moths, the species being a fine example of mimicry. On closer inspection I realised they were actual Hornets, which I treated with great caution when releasing them. Chris reported having seen what he thought to be a Sabre Wasp in his Middletown Lane garden.
8th Sept. I spotted a Speckled Bush-cricket on an alloy wheel of our car. They turn up in some odd places.
9th Sept. A pristine Brimstone butterfly visited our garden and Pete reported that a juvenile Green Woodpecker had visited his garden, presumably to feed on ants.
Mid-September 2023 to mid-October 2023
It’s always pleasant to stop for a few words with other villagers and hear what wildlife they have noticed in and around the village.
26th Sept. Acorns are plentiful at the moment. As we walked through the woods, Jays were quite vociferous as they searched for acorns. A squirrel was busy burying some in our lawn.
27th Sept. A rather dubious pleasure was twelve Wood Pigeons on our lawn, presumably seeking fallout from our sunflower seed feeders.
All too frequently these birds make the mistake of flying into the windows at the rear of our house, with quite a startling bang and leaving dusty silhouettes despite bird images stuck on the windows.
28th Sept. A Sparrowhawk paid an unsuccessful hunting visit to the garden, scattering the party of small birds on our feeders.
28th Sept – 6th Oct. We spent a week based in a hill-top cottage in Mid-Wales.
8th Oct. With the arrival of autumn, we noticed many Ladybirds climbing up the house walls and windows, presumably seeking out suitable nooks and crannies to hibernate.
10th Oct. Our attention was attracted by the chattering of about thirty Starlings perched on cables by the footpath to Astwood Bank, and as we stopped to look at them a Kestrel flew by.
Mid-October 2023 to mid-November 2023
Autumn colours are very much in evidence, but I don’t know how long they will last after today’s rain and the forecast of rain and strong winds overnight and tomorrow.
I decided to treat the birds to some new seed feeders for the winter and chose heavy duty metal ones. I was impressed by the sturdy perches instead of the pegs on the previous feeders. My satisfaction with these new feeders was short lived when I saw that a Magpie found these larger perches ideal while the previous pegs were too small for it. Consequently, the sunflower seeds were disappearing at an alarming rate. I have found a possible solution in Botany Bay garden centre in the form of separate cages that slip over the feeders. I now have them in place and, so far, Magpies seem to have been deterred.
14th Oct. The first cold snap of the autumn has made a Nuthatch a regular visitor to our feeders.
19th Oct. We had a close view of a Nuthatch scavenging around our patio after first visiting the feeders.
22nd Oct. We hadn’t seen a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the garden for many weeks, but today one was visiting the peanut feeder. Peter told us of having seen a “mini murmuration” of Starlings from his Coughton garden on two occasions.
23rd Oct. Two Pheasants were perched on our neighbour’s pergola.
26th Oct. A spell of sunshine brought a Red Admiral to settle on our garden wall for a time.
2nd Nov. Pete spotted a Grey Wagtail on his conservatory roof in Middletown Lane. He also mentioned having just returned from a holiday in Scotland where he was fortunate enough to see two Golden Eagles. He also noticed Hooded Crows. These birds largely replace Carrion Crows in Scotland and are an attractive two-tone grey and black.
6th Nov. Two male Blackbirds took it in turns to feast on pyracantha berries than take a rest on our patio furniture.
10th Nov. A lovely male Pheasant strutted across our back lawn and inspected a border.
Mid-November 2023 to mid-December 2023
I’m not a lover of Grey Squirrels. I do my best to make the bird feeders squirrel-proof and discourage them from visiting our garden. However, I had to admire the agility of one a few days ago. We have a couple of seed feeders on a pole that is fitted with a hemispherical plastic baffle to stop squirrels climbing the pole. I had left a redundant fitting attached to the pole below the baffle. The squirrel worked out that it could use this fitting as a springboard to leap past the edge of the baffle and just be able to grab the bottom of a feeder. It was then able to haul itself up and tuck in. Needless to say, I removed the fitting and so far the squirrel has been defeated.
15th Nov. Neighbour David had a charming encounter with a Robin which perched on his broom head while it was being used to sweep his path.
22nd Nov. A Woodpigeon narrowly avoided becoming a meal for a Sparrowhawk as the hunter zoomed around our apple tree seeking prey.
23rd Nov. The early morning sunshine lit up the burnished russet of the oak trees that we overlook from our breakfast room. Later in the morning a Red Kite flew over.
24th Nov. Around 6:30pm as we drove along Wike Lane, a Tawny Owl flew over.
25th Nov. Neighbour David saw a very dark Fox in Whitemoor Lane, then a regular one in the village.
28th Nov. We spotted our first Redwing of the winter near the ford at Coughton.
29th Nov. We noticed several Redwings in the same area.
4th Dec. I was pleased to see a Coal Tit visit our black sunflower seed feeder.
6th Dec. I noticed two quite large bracket fungi growing on our apple tree. The “Seek” app couldn’t identify it for me and the nearest match I could find in a field guide was a “Hoof Fungus”, but it doesn’t look quite right. I hope it isn’t, as that tends to kill the host.
7th Dec. Chris’s Middletown Lane garden is being visited by a male Pheasant in fine plumage. He also mentioned that Blackbirds which have been absent for some time are now back in his garden, and he has been interested to observe the different approaches that different bird species have to access the kernels of seeds.
11th Dec. As we walked along Wike Lane we had our first sighting of a Fieldfare this winter.
12th Dec. Several Jays were flying between trees in Wike Lane. They are quite a common sight at the moment, probably making the most of the acorn harvest.
Don’t forget the RSPB’s 2024 Big Garden Birdwatch takes place on 26th to 28th January. I read that in 2023 the House Sparrow was in the top spot for the 20th year. We so rarely see one in our garden.
Mid-December 2023 to mid-January 2024
The shortest day was three weeks ago, some snowdrops, primroses and daffodils are flowering, but the weather is cold, so it’s a bit to early to start talking about spring.
19th - 24th Dec. Pete has been busy spotting up to three Red Kites on three occasions between Hillers farm shop and Sambourne.
20th Dec. We spotted a Mistle Thrush perched in a tree beside Wike Lane. We rarely see one these days.
Long-tailed Tit - LoveGardenBirds
Blue Tit - RSPB
Great Tit - RSPB
31st Dec. A small party of Long-tailed Tits joined the Blue and Great Tits feeding on our sunflower seeds.
1st Jan. A male Pheasant has taken up residence in our garden, taking advantage of the fallout from the small birds on the seed feeders.
2nd Jan. I noticed that about one hundred Starlings gather in trees across the field behind us and drop to the ground en masse to search for invertebrates.
3rd Jan. At 9am a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming loudly in a tree near our garden.
8th Jan. A few Redwings were mixed in with the flock of Starlings perched in the tree across the field. The woodpecker was drumming again and we were pleased to see a Greenfinch among the many Goldfinches visiting our seed feeders.
10th Jan. Having seen no Chaffinches in our garden for many months, I noticed two females below our feeders.
11th Jan. We had great views of a mixed flock of Fieldfares and Redwings in a field off Sambourne Lane near the cricket club.
12th Jan. On a morning visit to the Upton Warren nature reserve, we saw 100+ Lapwings, one Curlew, a Little Grebe, and an assortment of common ducks. I had a tantalising glimpse of what I think was a Water Rail, and we spent a few minutes watching a flock of Siskins feeding in an alder. We were pleased to be able to identify a Cetti’s Warbler singing in a reed bed.