Early morning walk from house to waste ground field, Scanned towards Toothill. Across Rownhams Lane into Calvelease Copse, and back home.
Was starting to reach desparation about the lack of variety in this area recently when all was forgotten as a Grasshopper Warbler started reeling in between the traffic noise on Rownhams Lane. Managed to put the traffic behind me and heard him properly, but could not see him. He's chosen a super place to sing from.. totally undisturbed, and I've been expecting something half decent to turn up in this small area of scrub for a while now.
This is my earliest Grasshopper Warbler by a few weeks, mainly due to me living 100 miles further south now!
Rest of area still pretty quiet except for Willow Warblers and Chiff Chaffs, plus the occasional Blackcap. have been some fairly severe fires in the copse. The Bracken is all but burnt to a cinder in the open areas, but the woodland proper is still nice and boggy in places.
Also equalled my previous garden list with a singing Chiff Chaff, 40 species in 3 months here as opposed to 40 in 3 years at the previous address!!
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