At last I have managed to get some reasonable shots of Cettis Warbler, it’s taken 2 years!!! These can be, and usually are, frustrating to not only see but especially to photograph. Study is a great thing because if you have the time you can get closer to your subject by understanding their habits. I watched a male bird singing away and this one unusually had chosen a favourite perch which was in a Willow Tree rather than the more usually choice, brambles.I heard him sing very close and then caught sight of him. Then as I watched, another bird joined him in his territory and with a mouthfull of “something” disappeared in to the thicket. As I kept my watch she appeared again, I am pretty sure this is a breeding pair, and this time it scoured the the reeds just in front of me and pulled at the reeds eventually filling her mouth with plant matter, she again disappeared into  the thicket.

Meanwhile the male continued to confound me by perching about a foot away and sang as loud as he could giving me the chance to get a few more photos.  I hadn’t noticed before how pink the legs and feet are. I also am now pretty sure that the females are a more rusty brown but having located this pair

I am going to be able to confirm that fact I am sure. You will excuse me for not divulging the location, that would be wrong on so many levels.

This is a shot (below) of the presumed hen,  with the sun at my back. The other shots were hardto get  because the backlight was causing problems and made for difficult photographic conditions.  As I live only minutes from this location I will be visiting regularly of the next few days.

I am certain that this one below is a male, I heard him sing just before he settled on the reeds. The darker colour is just an anomaly of the light I think. 

The next photo is a male. At one time he was most upset at the presence of another male in his territory and proceeded to chase him out with much cocking and flicking of the tail which he held high like a Robin or Wren.