How do Spring Migrants Cope?

We are experiencing very variable weather at the moment. Things are changing in the range of three seasons in one day. Yet for the last week, I have been regaled on my early morning walks with the constant reminder of the arrival of a chiffchaff. Singing its repetitive notes from high in the tree tops, this bird appears to be ready to settle in the wood and establish a territory. But how does such a small seemingly delicate warbler survive in these conditions? Presumably it is accustomed to meeting with very cold night time temperatures on the African continent during its winter sojourn there, but there you would expect it to be able to find ample food sources during daylight hours. Here it is sometimes meeting winter conditions during the day and you would imagine that there are few insects around. Certainly they appear should the sun emerge. Bumblebees have been out and about for some weeks now and clouds of midges appear with the sun but on some days, my feeble eyes are unable to see any minute life. Clearly the chiffchaff has its strategies to survive, but it is for me one of the surprises of nature.

Tree Dwelling Rabbits

In the fields near my home there are several trees with an inordinate amount of basal growth. Over the years, this has increased the effective diameter of the trees by a very significant amount. Now the the stem growth has a depth of several feet and is not only thick but also full of accumulated fallen leaves.
Yesterday my dog was giving chase to a rabbit when I was astonished to see the rabbit jump up into the tree and disappear. On closer inspection it became apparent that there was a network of tunnels within the basal growth. Examining the other trees I could see the same phenomenon. The tunnels extend to about five feet from the ground making these truly tree dwelling rabbits.

I am sure this behaviour must be replicated elsewhere but I have never seen its like before.

Strange Rabbit Behaviour

Recently I have seen a buzzard on the edge of the wood and perched close to grazing rabbits which appeared to be completely unconcerned about its presence. This morning the buzzard was on the ground not five meters away from a rabbit.
I suspect that the buzzard is using the field to hunt for worms. What is more difficult to understand is why the rabbits are not responding in their usual manner to the close presence of such an obvious predator. Clearly they have become habituated to the buzzard's presence, but for one to be allowed to get so close is behaviour I have never previously observed.

Singing Chiffchaff

This morning listened to Bill Oddie on the BBC with 'Tweet of the Day': a chiffchaff. Later went to the Castle Lake and heard my first chiffchaff of the year. Bill described it as his herald of spring. Unlike the blackcap I heard the other day, this bird must be a genuine spring migrant.
Six shovellers and great crested grebe were others amongst common water birds on the lake.

Singing Blackcap

The sound of summer came early when this morning I heard a blackcap singing from high in a tree. It was a beautiful spring morning and down by the stream that fringes the wood. The song I heard was quite different form the usual thrushes, robins and wrens that are currently plentiful and vociferous. It was a fairly tatty looking bird and the song was far from being the relatively melodious song of later in the year, but unmistakable. I suspect this bird to be an overwintered specimen likely to be heading north to its breeding grounds within the next week or so. But, it could be an early arrival.

Albino Jackdaw

Walking beside the river Stour near Dedham in Essex a flock of approximately fifty jackdaws descended on the water meadows. Amongst them was a pure white bird. I presume it was an albino but was too distant to see any eye colour.