Dungeness and the arrival of the little brown jobs........

Had a great day at Dungeness on Saturday with Seany BeBe. 'Cuspate foreland' is the technical term for the vast expanse of shingle that extends seaward from Romney Marsh, with the imposing nuclear power station in the background and its network of gravel pits. It is indeed a strange place....bleak or beautiful depending on your perspective. What really stood out on Saturday was the arrival of sedge warblers in large numbers...every patch of scrub was alive with them, males emerging to sing from prominent perches. They are great mimics and it was possible to pick out house sparrow, blue tit and swallow calls combined with their own. I never cease to be amazed that these tiny creatures have migrated so far...the thought of flying across the English Channel just makes me feel tired...let alone across Europe from Africa. To most people I suppose they are just a little brown bird singing from a bush...to me , each returning one is a miracle.......