Psilos Bird Journal
Sunday June 28th 2009
     
"A second chance"
 
Juvenile Common Term
 
This week the weather is very changeable. Yesterday it was very grey with rain but today despite the thin cloud cover it is very hot. Today was another day I was going to try and get a decent shot of a juvenile Common tern in flight. There were four juveniles fledged today and they did a fair amount of flying around but they just never seem to come close enough. As always though the adults gave plenty of opportunities but because of the heat they spent alot of time sat around.
 

 

After an hour or so I could feel the sun burning my back and as the terns were quiet I decided it was time to move on and go and see what was happening with the swans. Walking down the path I felt very content. The sun was beating down the birds were singing. Who could ask for more? Suddenly on my right hand side my eyes picked up movement and for the briefest of seconds I could not believe my eyes. Perched on a tall grass stem approximately twelve feet away in clear view with nothing obstructing it sat an adult Sedge warbler. It felt like one of those slow motion moments when I looked at the bird and he looked at me. Precious seconds ticked away and then all at once my brain engaged and I reached for my camera. The bird did not move. It just sat there watching me. Quickly I got the bird in my sights and the camera would not focus. Amazingly I knew the problem. My distance limiter was set for the terns and so wouldnt focus on anything less that 8 metres away. The bird still sat there and my heart was thumping with adrenalin. Sedge warblers never sit still like this so close in the open. It was a brilliant opportunity. Click went the limiter up came the camera for the second time and in that moment the bird flew away. I think he figured I had had my chance. He had given me a perfect opportunity, handed it to me on a grass blade and I had goofed. I wanted more and I looked across to see he and his mate disappear into the undergrowth. No doubt he was no sitting in the depths of the reed bed sniggering to himself and thinking what I loser I was and he would have been right. I was gutted! Head down muttering to myself I went to find the swans.
 
Found the female and her two cygnets at the end of the small lake at he back of the reserve. They were feeding in a little bay. The bank is slightly sloping and goes down to the water where I can sit and watch them. Everywhere I can hear the song of Reed bunting, Reed and Sedge warbler but they are very elusive. Reeds grow up all around me and I am completely sheltered. The sun is beating down fiercely. It is a prefect place to be and I feel calmer. The cygnets are nearer but they keep hiding.in the reeds. I lay back and can see the terns as they fly over calling to each other as they do. The sun is also very harsh so for the main I just sit, relax and enjoy the sun.

Eventually my attention is drawn back to the terns who are making a commotion. Yesterday a juvenile Black headed gull tried to land on the raft and a passing Peregrine falcon has also caused much upset so I slowly make my way back to the spit. Passing the reedbeds my eyes search for the Sedge warbler I had missed earlier. Immediatly i picked out not two birds but three and I realised that I must be looking at a family group. I tried to get a little closer without scaring them. The more I looked the more birds I started to see. At least three juveniles were sat motionless on the long thin stems of grass. This is a defence posture and with babies is often the first line in keeping them safe from danger. The grass was very thick and even manual focusing was proving impossible. I had to get nearer. For a more in depth story click HERE Eventually I got the shot that I wanted. The second the shot was in the bag the alarm went up from the adults and all the birds dived for cover. I truely believed that that day they gave me a second chance.
juv sedge warbler
Back on the spit I was treated by an appearance from a family of newly hatched Coots. The parents looked like they were definitly on a mission and were making a direct line for the nearest trees round the far side of the spit. The light was against me but with camera in hand I waited for them and watched with fascination as they swam passed as fast as their little legs could take them.
It has to be said that once again the juvenile terns were not very forth coming and once again I do not have my great shot of a juvenile Tern in flight. My best effort is hsown below and I am not pleased with it. Once again I tell myself that there is always next year. Goodness knows why I find it so difficult?
juvenile tern
The Great crested grebes also seemed to have failed this year. Usually there are three pairs though recently I have only seen two and no chicks at all have been produced. One pair keeps on nesting in an area that is constantly flooded out and they never seem to learn which I find very frustrating. Here is one of them in the muted colours of te early evening. They are one of my favourite water birds and a great sight on which to end my day.