Warblers at Wicken

Reed Warbler

This tiny warbler with its brown back & lighter buff underside arrives in mid-April.

It builds tiny nests between 4 or 5 reed stems along the banks or the Lodes, ditches or in the reedbeds.

At Wicken, reed warblers nests can be parasited by female cuckoos who remove a warblers egg & lay one of their own, leaving the warblers to rear the chick when it hatches, Why the warblers rear a chick that is so much bigger than themselves is one of those mysteries of nature. 

Sedge Warbler

A small plump warbler, with a distinctive creamy strip above its eye.

It likes marshland habitat & nests in tall grassland & reedbeds.

It has a noisy rambling song & often forms a 'parachute' display in flight.

Cetti's Warbler

A dark stocky bird with rounded tail. They are often difficult to see but are easily identified by bursts of song consisting of 6 or more lound notes.

Cetti's warblers are resident on the fen year round.

Chiff Chaff

A small olive brown warbler, weighing around eight grams.

The chiff chaff gets its name from its distinctive 'chiff chaff'' call.

The birds can be seen year round but most arrive in the spring.

Grasshopper Warbler

You'll more likely hear rather than see this warbler. Its high pitched song sounds just like a grasshopper, and can be difficult to hear as our hearing declines with age.

The species has suffered as serious decline in recent years & is now classified as a Red List Species.