Birdwatch at Arundel Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

I AM definitely getting a better sun tan in recent years; and I've been going on holiday abroad less, it would appear that all those air miles I racked up travelling to hotter climes have contributed enough to global warming that now I don't have to travel outside Southern England. Excellent! Or is it?

Every year I lead dawn chorus walks around the Arundel Wetlands and the timing is such that we can look out for recently arrived migrants. Reed warblers usually arrive half way through the series of walks, a week or two after their 'cousins' the sedge warblers. This is because sedge warblers and reed warblers have different energetic strategies for migration.

Sedge warblers become enormously fat before starting migration and carry enough stored energy to only stop a few times en route, reed warblers undertake the journey in much smaller stages, so even if both species left their wintering grounds at the same time sedge warblers should get here earlier.

As I write this column the stuttering, repetitive churring of the reed warbler is drifting in through the office door. On my dawn chorus walks, every year, at least one person remarks when they hear the reed warbler singing, 'that sounds of summer.' Well, if that sounds of summer, summer might be about to get louder, as well as hotter.

Predictions are that the UK may see an average temperature increase of two degrees over the next few decades. With this change we will see some dramatic losses and additions to our bird life. The great reed warbler is favoured to be one of several additions to our wetland wildlife. It is basically a reed warbler that's been to the gym and taken a few growth hormones, its song is deeper and louder and the reeds bend under its weight. I saw one in the UK a few years ago and it is a very impressive bird.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette May 30