Evening in river valley

At this time of year I have an evenings walk round the meadows with Swan Dave - Dave is down in this part of the world checking the breeding swan in the river system, something he's been doing for longer than he usually cares to admit, over 30 years!
Besides the more "obvious"  swan roundups in Christchurch Harbour, then "quieter" part of what he has done involves work in the Wylye valley moitoring the numbers of noth breeding birds and non-breeding flocks and meeting with fishing groups and representatives of the the ministries over the constant argument over whether there are too many swan in the Wylye and the detrimental effect this has on weed growth and therefore fish stocks. It is of course an on-going siuation - but numbers of non-breeders do at time seem to be be gently exagerated!
Besides staying for supper we usually have an evening walk around the meadows - trying to spot the swan on nest before they see us. Unlike town and lake swans these will not come to bread enabling Dave to catch and ring them, so most do not have an identifying metal or orange coloured engraved ring.
This time we heard , like most years, a Grasshopper Warbler - always bad enough to locate the singing position in the past - but with one ear out of action for high frequencies its next to impossible for me! This years bird was in a novel position - though full of sedge, so it may stay depending on what the cattle get up to when they come back that way. A Cuckoo was calling away, as were several Cetti's Warblers, and eventually I heard my first Reed Warbler of the summer, after hearing probably 20 Sedgies arguing away. I always liked the description of Mr Nice and Mr Angry for telling the songs apart.
We didnt see a Barn Owl - but as I saw one regularly back in the Winter I am hope that we will.
A late spring walk in the meadows at dusk remains one of my favorite moments, with the birds still singing as the day gradually ends.