Wood warbler at Draycote water, Warks.

Wood Warbler, Draycote water

Wood warbler

Wood warbler

Wood warbler

Wood warbler

Yellow wagtail

Yellow wagtail

Thursday 3rd May 2012
On another damp and dismal day I headed for Brandon Marsh in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Nightingale. In the event I didnt even hear it sing a note. Plenty of other migrants though with Blackcaps and Common Whitethroat particularly abundant. Why is it some migrant species can be described as abundant when so many resident farmland species appear to be struggling? Is it that migrants are more concentrated in traditional breeding areas or has the level of predation of resident species increased over winter months? Moving on to Draycote Water I was disappointed that a summer plummaged Knot had also moved on. The reported Wood warbler was still near the sewage works though, and there were a number of yellow and white wagtails on the banks. Out on the water there was 30+ Arctic terns and hundreds of hirundines feeding low over the water with a few Swifts mixed in.