There we were, sitting under a hedge in the afternoon sun on the Norfolk coast, listening to the dulcet tones of willow warblers and the like, when out of the bushes came a rasping sound that I can only like to a piece of machinery in the seconds prior to seizing up. It took a long time to locate the culprit, but it eventually revealed itself......
.......... and I think ( with a bit of help from Keith) that it's a whitethroat ........
.... but then, if I was a bird with a voice like that I'd want to stay hidden too.
I feel on more secure ground with this one - a raucous jay that took exception to our presence in Holkham NNR (of which more later)
Posts
Hmmmm, not sure about the warbler Phil. Could be a Lesser, but the alarm call of the Common Whitethroat does sound quite harsh.
ReplyDeleteGood shot of the noisy Jay though.
Thanks Keith, looking at the legs again I'm convinced you're right - they are brownish - it must be a whitethroat ........ unfortunately didn't get a photo from the back to show the brown on the wings which would have been helpful...
ReplyDeleteI had a listen to the examples on British Garden Birds. The song seems nice enough but the alarm call seems to fit your description so I guess you were being told to keep your distance ;)
ReplyDeleteI think you're right John, it must have been its alarm call - maybe I'm being a bit unfair about its musical prowess!
ReplyDelete