Cetti`s & first Reed Warbler

Lade - 0900hrs - mild, wet, sw 2 - A classic, Bob Geldof, "I don't like Mondays..." type of a start to the week with pulses of heavy showers rattling up-Channel under glowering grey skies. But, hey, ho, not to be downhearted our spirits were well and truly lifted by a couple of warblers this morning as we trudged round the local patch. Whilst sheltering from a downpour my first Reed Warbler of the spring `chugged` away in the main reedbed and even briefly showed itself; this is easily my earliest Lade record by about a week.
Now, what goes - "Wot-yer, wot-yer, wot-yer... can-you-see-me... bet-you-can`t... bet-you-can`t"? Well, I`ll tell you what does, a Cetti`s Warbler of course, and about now this notorious reedbed skulker gives the game away and clambers atop scrub to sing in the open. Last week we managed good views for both groups of visiting birders on Dengemarsh, but this behaviour only lasts for a short while early in the breeding season as the males stake out a territory. I watched another this morning at Lade for at least five minutes singing loudly from a bramble patch in fine drizzle making photography difficult.
However, ace local wildlife photographer Dave Featherbe was more up to the mark at the weekend when he took advantage of the Cetti`s brief posturing period to capture the image below at Dengemarsh.

                                Cetti`s Warbler, Dengemarsh (by Dave Featherbe)

The rain continued throughout the day, heavy at times and with thunder, making for something of a washout. Still, its the first decent drop of rain for a while, and it`ll stop the farmers moaning I suppose, at least for a while.