Dartford Warbler is another species on my list. The last time I had photographed one was in 2008. A rather funny story attached to it too.
Someone had told me that one was singing close to a path at Dunwich Heath, replica watches Suffolk, and in August too. An early start (well I was younger then) and I spent the whole day trudging over the heath without seeing or hearing one - not surprising really because it was school holidays on a nice day and it was really busy.
Finally giving up and heading back to the car, I passed a small family on holiday from Scotland that asked me what the bird was that kept disappearing into the bush in front of them - you've guessed it - a Dartford Warbler. It posed on the top of the heather some way away but flew into the bush directly with nesting material. Odd for August and the photos were not the best because of the messy background.
Several attempts since then have failed miserably and then one was reported at Coates, East of Peterborough, only the fifth report ever for Cambridgeshire, and not a million miles away. It was over a week before I could get there last Thursday and it had not been reported since the weekend. Was luck with me or not?
Finding another photographer there, we chewed the fat, as one does, and then we saw it at rolex replica watches the top of the field, giving distant shots before it disappeared into a bush without getting into range.
Later, a friend, James Hanlon turned up and we searched until we found it and eventually it provided close views although with a somewhat messy background. The following shots have had some background branches edited out.
So not a bad result in the end but I can see a trip to Dunwich Heath coming up soon for when they start singing for territory.