355 



NOTES ON THE REED WARBLER. 



F. B. WHITLOCK, 



A ttetiborongh. 



According to my observations in Mid-Trent Valley, the spring of 

 1888 was noteworthy for the abundance of the Sedge Warbler 

 {Acrocephalus phra^mifAs) and Reed Warbler (A. strepenis). The 

 latter bird breeds with us in scattered pairs up and down the l>ent 

 and on the larger ponds every year, but this year we were favoured 

 with quite little colonies. 



Living near the river gives many opportunities of observing the 

 habits of these warljlers. They are rather late arrivals, and I never 

 hear their song until the last few days of April or the beginning of 

 May. It is easy, however, to overlook them in rough weather, as 

 they are then silent, and the nature of their haunts renders observa- 

 tion very difficult. Their home is made in the half-cultivated willow 

 beds, in which the withies have been standing for a year or two ; 

 they do not favour the better-cleaned holts, where there is a lack of 

 undergrowth. I sometimes meet with a few pairs wherever the 

 banks of the river are lined with bushy willows, but this is not always 

 the case. The feathery reed-beds in which they delight in Norfolk 

 are almost absent from this part of the Trent. 



In their haunts they are restless, inquisitive little birds, and I find 

 the best way to observe them is to take my dog with me, and let him 

 wander about whilst I lie down, half concealed by the willows. The 

 Reed Warblers and Sedge W^arblers soon find him out, and when he 

 returns some of them are sure to follow. On their catching sight 

 I am usually treated to a burst of defiant song, interrupted with 

 numerous changes of position and glances in my direction. This 

 continues until curiosity is apparently satisfied, or perhaps an out- 

 break of song from a rival is the signal for a battle, when, r^uite 

 heedless of my presence, the little combatants, twittering fiercely, 

 chase one another in and out of the willow twigs with great rapidity, 

 until the weaker bird is driven away. The splash of a passing 

 boat or a stone thrown into their haunts will also rouse them into 

 song. 



The call-note is very similar to that of the Sedge Warbler, and 

 may readily be imitated by drawing in the breath between the nearly 

 closed lips. Often have I called up both species in this way, but the 

 Sedge Warbler is usually first to respond. 



The song is difficult to express in words, but it is neither so liarsh 

 nor so loud and continuous as that of the Sedge Warbler. It may 



Dec. 1888. 



