Redwings, Bank Voles and Reedbeds.

I spent Saturday morning wandering around the reserve with my sound kit in an attempt to record some reed-bed ambience and warbler song. Not the best morning to do this as it was quite breezy and the wind in the trees prevented getting any clean recordings. More pervasive, however, was the noise pollution coming up the valley from Elland, from passing trains, overhead aircraft and nearby roads. My biggest enemy, surprisingly, turned out to be a Song Thrush, whose continuous song threatened to drown out every other bird on the reserve. Chaffinch, Dunnocks, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and Reed Warblers were all singing around the lagoons and Whitethroats were also present but not singing. Coot are nesting in the reed beds and Moorhens in the cut, but no sign of any Reed Buntings or Sedge Warblers. The chattering sound of Heron chicks can be heard from the car park and the sight of a Redwing came as a surprise on entering the reserve.
On a return visit in the afternoon I managed to film a couple of Bank Voles under the car park feeders which were being visited by a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a pair of Bullfinches and a pair of Blackcaps. A few Swifts and Swallows were flying overhead, an occasional Jay at the feeders, Robins courtship feeding and the usual proliferation of Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tits, Dunnocks, Goldfinches and Greenfinch