In Search of Spotted Flycatchers and Turtle Doves

9th June 2017

We started off the day by looking and listening for Turtle Doves at the Drewers Hide at Fowlmere. One did call just the once to the right of the hide, but then fell silent. However, an unexpected visitor to the stream in front of the hide was a Water Vole. They are normally seen in the chalk stream that runs around the western and northen boundaries, but today one kept on emerging from the reeds and swimming out to break off a sprig of Marestail before returning to the reeds to eat it.

It proved very difficult to get a shot as it swam amongst the Marestail, but eventually it did stop in a minute clearing for no more than a head shot.

Continuing along the anticlockwise track we heard two more Turtle Doves singing, but only one was on show. Unfortunately it was about 70 yards away in its favourite dead tree, but I did manage to get a couple of record shots.

Now on to Wallington and Sandon to try our luck with the Spotted Flycatchers. There was no sign at the churches, but we did eventually manage to track down a pair at another site in Wallington which were fairly obliging. What cracking little birds.