Reed Warbler

I have been trying to get a photo of a Reed Warbler for a while now, but due the birds` skulking habits it has proven a little difficult. The digiscoped images above were managed by just waiting by a reedbed where I had heard a Reed Warbler singing and eventually the bird showed itself for a couple of minutes. There was a metal type of fence that the bird was perched behind, hence the blurry silver line over his feet, but beggars can`t be choosers!

The Reed Warbler is a common summer migrant to Britain, numbering between 40,000 and 80,000 pairs, although this number is lower than it was a few years ago. Drainage of reedbeds has had an effect on the bird, but they have started to colonise new habitats such as gravel pits which may help in the future.

A plain, unstreaked warbler that has brown upper-parts and a reddish brown rump. The underneath is buff, leading to white on the throat. A bird that you are more likely to hear before you see it, the `song` is a noisy, unmusical, repetitive chatter and churring with frequent changes in pitch that is very similar to the Sedge Warbler, although it is lower pitched and less varied than this bird. The nests of this bird are frequently parasitised by Cuckoos.