Perched

I managed to get out of the house early today, and had a blissfully quiet walk down to the river. I was hoping to hear my first Cuckoo of the year, but no luck with that. Instead I was serenaded by the gentle rather repetitive song of several Reed Warblers, the rather more varied song of a Sedge Warbler, and the unmistakably raucous and shouty song of a Cetti's Warbler. I also spotted my first Grey Wagtail of the year.

The rest of the day was spent at home, working on another video challenge for the Langdyke Trust and generally mooching round the garden. While I was standing by our largest pond I caught sight of a movement out of the corner of my eye - a Large Red Damselfly - a couple of weeks earlier than normal. And while I was watching it another appeared - they engaged in a brief aerial battle and the victor settled on the flowers of a variegated Greater Woodrush. I managed to sneak round the back of the pond to get a nice clear background, helpfully provided by the complete covering of duckweed that we currently have! Hopefully this will be the first of many dragonflies this season.