Seven Sherborne Warblers and a Wagtail
Local expert wildlife photographer Richard Tyler has refreshed my interest in the local ornithology, and I’m helped by the wonderful Merlin app on my phone which holds my hand and identifies the remarkable cacophony of sound hereabouts.
This morning my app picked up Five (count ‘em!) warblers between the Broadwater and Waterloo Bridge. Heard, not necessarily seen, I confess. These were:
- Chiffchaff
- Whitethroat
- Blackcap
- Cetti’s warbler
- Garden warbler
Richard Tyler added two more warbler species this morning too, seeing two sedge warblers on the Broadwater, and three reed warblers at the junction of the Brook with the Windrush. A while back, I might have shrugged, but now all these excite me. I strongly recommend the app. Sit outside for 20 minutes with the app running and take delight.
Sadly I have no photos, but Richard shares this pic from this morning, of a grey wagtail on the Sherborne Brook.
In other bird news Serena reports a remarkable number of swallows, twice as many as last year. She wonders if this year’s first brood has already hatched. I confess excitement as a pair of swallows investigate my workshop where last year a pair tried but failed to build a nest. I’ve tried to help by tacking a few offcuts up high in the rafters, in a form I hope makes for an attractive foundation for a swallows nest. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, Blanche the swan sits on her eggs in the Broadwater, showing more patience than the rest of the village put together.
