Having found a singing male Firecrest in local woods in March, I was finally able to prove successful breeding last Saturday, when I found a juvenile and a female gathering food for it, whilst the male sang nearby.
They are very rare breeding birds in Glamorgan, though there are a few pairs in Wentwood, Gwent and the Forest of Dean, and they are not too rare further south, the New Forest for example. Our County Recorder is very pleased!
I don't get many "lifers" these days, so a trip to Ham Wall near Glastonbury recently to see and hear a very lost River Warbler was essential. Excellent views and a very distinctive song, slightly slower and lower pitched than the more familiar Grasshopper warbler.