"Cetti's warblers barely existed in Britain in my childhood, with just a handful of sightings. But since the first breeding record in 1972 they've made inroads. Nowadays, if I visit a watery reserve and don't hear one, I write a strongly worded letter of complaint to the relevant authorities."
"The song strikes up again. Strident, insistent, but this time behind me, nowhere near where I'm looking. Crafty devil. It does this. Sing loudly to attract attention, fall silent, move, sing loudly again. The Beau Geste hypothesis—giving the impression that there's more than one bird, a strategy to deter competitors and confuse hapless birders."
"Walthamstow Wetlands a 211-hectare nature reserve centred on 10 reservoirs in north-east London. Jewel in the Lee Valley's crown, and as good a place for waterbirds as any in the capital."
Walthamstow Wetlands, a 211-hectare nature reserve in north-east London centered on 10 reservoirs, provides sanctuary for diverse waterbirds including tufted ducks and grebes. The reserve offers peaceful birdwatching experiences amid tranquil surroundings. Cetti's warblers, historically absent from Britain with only a handful of sightings during childhood, have established themselves since their first breeding record in 1972. These birds employ a sophisticated vocal strategy called the Beau Geste hypothesis, singing loudly to attract attention while moving between locations to create the illusion of multiple birds, thereby deterring competitors and confusing birdwatchers. Despite their reputation for skulking behavior and elusiveness, Cetti's warblers occasionally abandon their secretive nature and reveal themselves to observers.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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