DAVID'S NATURE BLOG

4 MAY 2024 – TEDNAMBURY AND THORLEY WASH

I’d been out of action for two weeks or so and needed to get out with the aim of trying to get a handle on the bird migration, which otherwise I would miss out on, given that local birdwatchers had reported observing good numbers of Garden Warblers; Sedge Warblers and Grasshopper Warblers, to name but a few.

To save a bit of time I took a bus down to Spellbrook, walking south along the Stort Navigation to Tednambury, then a little further south towards Sawbridgeworth. But I was surprised by the lack of birdsong, given that reports indicated that migrating warblers were singing well.

Anyway, I soldiered on, with no indication of sedge warbler or Reed Warbler activity - although that was almost self-explanatory as large swathes of reeds had been cut back along the Stort. I stood opposite a stretch of reedbed that had been used by Reed Warblers in recent years, when a bird ‘popped-up’ from the lower part of the bed, making itself seen briefly before flying off to a sycamore, where it promptly disappeared. There was no song whatsoever, but from its plumage I was satisfied that it was a Sedge Warbler. Along the Stort a way, and the familiar song of a male Cuckoo echoed out over the environment; and soon the said Cuckoo had alighted high on a dead elm some distance away, unfortunately into the sun so good photography wasn’t going to be easy.

Opposite Tednambury Farm, at least three Common Whitethroats could be heard, but remained well hidden in the grasses, along with at least three male Cetti’s Warblers that were singing loudly but were also out of sight (which was normal for the species). At the lock gates there was no sight of any Grey Wagtails that usually nest in the gates, and no sign of any Common Terns which can often be seen resting on the gates. I thought I’d try getting down further into the marsh, but my attempts were thwarted by the extremely muddy conditions (no doubt due to recent heavy rainfall).

Continuing along the Stort towards Sawbridgeworth, there were no singing Garden Warblers that I’d seen here in the past, and no Lesser Whitethroats either, only a couple of singing Chiffchaffs, a pair of Linnets (a fast-disappearing species) and a few pairs of Reed Buntings. I turned back at that point, thinking that maybe Thorley Wash might be the redeeming quality.

Shortly before leaving Tednambury, a female Eurasian Sparrowhawk was seen circling above me, and a male Kestrel nearby. A few Orange Tip and Small White butterflies were seen, together with a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

Past the lock gates at Spellbrook - and once again no sightings of Grey Wagtails that nested in the gates last year - the first bird of interest was a singing male Nuthatch, which regrettably remained out of sight. A singing Cetti’s Warbler announced his presence loudly - one of the successes of recent years with up to six territories last year in the Thorley Wash area. A juvenile Mute Swan was a bit of a surprise here, as usually adult swans accompany them.

I met a photographer who told me that this was his first visit to Thorley Wash, and although he hadn’t seen much, he had seen and photographed a male Bullfinch - a species that sadly I hadn’t seen at Thorley Wash for two years (and his photograph was excellent). I hadn’t intended to walk around the reserve itself as I was feeling a bit tired, but the possibility of seeing a Bullfinch spurred me on; though in fact it was a futile exercise, except for a beautiful male Sedge Warbler that eventually showed itself to me briefly. Up to three Common Whitethroats were seen on the reserve also, but alas no singing Grasshopper Warblers. Along the river northwards towards Bishops Stortford, there was no sign of any dragonflies - except for a teneral male Large Red Damselfly. A lone Buzzard and another Kestrel were the only raptors seen along this stretch. Only two Swallows were seen, with another single at the stables opposite Twyford Lock, but again no sign of any Grey Wagtails, which was very disappointing, as they are one of my favourite birds.

So, in essence a slightly disappointing walk given the lack of migrant birds, but I’d photographed some interesting plant and insect species, including a silhouette of a male Cuckoo, so that aspect was relatively successful. But of course, it’s still early in the year, so hopefully I‘ll be making further excursions to Thorley Wash and the surrounding area, with my camera close to hand.