Nature has a way of turning up where you least expect it. On the north western limits of Ely, just inside the enveloping A10, a stretch of grassland to rival that on any local nature reserve is alive with incredible lilac bees, clutching fresh green stems in groups of four or five, quiet in the cool evening shade. The meadow patches are nestled among small stands of low bushes and young trees, and Blackcaps and Wrens sing an evensong. One voice stands out for it's strangeness. It starts with a couple of chiff-chaff notes before descending into the stream of Willow Warbler. I glimpse the singer briefly- just it's head, and its bold supercilium and pale cheeks show that this bird has learned a new introduction to its verse. I can't help feeling that the lack of other Willow Warblers in the area this season have led this lone warbler to adapt like a backpacker studiously picking up useful phrases of the local language.
