A visit to Hen reedbeds & Wangford Quarry

On Sunday 5 May, in the afternoon, I rolled into Hen reedbeds car park and could immediately hear a Nightingale singing! From the reeds I could also hear a Bittern booming too. Not knowing exactly where to go I decided to head north- wesr from the carpark where there was path beyond it and a sign saying Wangford Quarry which was all very encouraging. A long rectangular walk had me reaching the north- east end where I met a group of birders and further along another birder who had just seen it. waiting almost 2 hours no sign, but Alison and eventually Chris A joined us and Carl B too. I was thinking of leaving but thought I'd stay as Carl was here and he usually gets both the bird and the luck. No sooner said that a pair of lady walkers asked us if they could take the footpath into the quarry and round where the Hoopoe had last been seen. Good thing I stayed, because as soon as they walked down and the took the path off to the right, the fantastic Hoopoe flew up and left over the pine trees at the back. It showed a languid undulating flight, with black and white buttefly like wings on a salmon orange body. It settled the farside of the quarry around 3000 metres to the south and was seen probing a bank of short grass, but the army of twitchers storming back caused it it to fly over the bank and down and out of sight. It was not seen again that night. As I walked back to the car park I could hear the wonderful melliflous song of a Nightingale, very close eminating from the north hedge of the car park, I even saw it briefly sat there singing the brown dapped plumage and russet brown tail seen before it flitted right, further glimpses were obtained but so pleasing to see a bird I didn't see at all last year. Later it sang from the south side of the car park, as I walked to the car a wonderful really close Barn Owl flew by and towards the quarry. Meanwhile a Biuttern could be heard booming from the reedbed. As I drove out, another Nightingale was heard the other side of the road. A great end to the vday.