Snetti's warbler

warm.....

warmer....

blazing hot....

The Great Reed warbler. Big flopping hulk of a thing. My first attempt to see it had failed. It was my own fault. I wandered along the bank in the early afternoon with the breeze rising. A few grunts - from the bird that is - was all I heard, and that was it. So a couple of days later, I decided to get there at dawn, on a still morning. Passing a couple of Turtle Doves and a Grasshopper Warbler on the way, I arrived at the thick block of reeds where the G'Reed had been, and was greeted - or should I say 'greeded'...no - I shouldn't say 'greeded'..it's silly and not funny. Would that it were. But as I say, it's not. Do you get the impression I'm trying to pad this out? Because I have to tell you - you're right.

I arrived. It was there. And I saw it. I won. And the man who asked me 'has it been singing' just after it had literally just stopped singing after ten minutes of actual singing while we both stood waiting for it to appear on my last visit...lost. As I said. I won, and I had defeated him. And I'm not ashamed to admit that. Am I Alpha Papa?

you decide - but I think I can guess your answer...

Oh yeah. And there was some other stuff there as well, but I'm not complaining. Had quick look, got back to the car, driving gloves on, and rode home listening to some classic Brit-pop from T'pau.