Rain and showers early on with a light E3 could only mean one thing. Migrants.
Sure enough as I sat at work this morning I was regularly updated with news of scarcities the length of the east coast, including oddments on Holy Island.
I decided to get out of work at lunch time to stretch my legs. The nearest bit of migrant holding cover to me is the line at Cambois ( pronounced 'Cammus' to the uninitiated) where we saw the Golden Oriole the other week.
I walked the length of the site seeing only one each of Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff and decided to head back to the office when I heard a snatch of song from a willow and bramble thicket. It sounded different and then I noticed the tones of Goldfinch, Swallow and Blue Tit all coming from the same spot. The signs sparked my memory and I immediately thought - MARSH WARBLER!
After a few minutes trying to get a view Cambois patcher Steve Taylor arrived so I summoned him to the spot. We soon managed glimpses of the bird feeding low in the cover occasionally moving higher up. I rang the news out and one or two people arrived, Dave Elliott, Alan Giloney (Blyth Birder) and Brian Bullough ( Northumbrian Birder). 40 minutes had passed without further sign and I feared that the local Whitethroats and Sedgies would have people thinking I'd fluffed it but then Dave saw a movement and our bird clambered into the open to feed and back down again just as quickly. Phew.
Its a while since I've seen Marsh Warbler and to find my own made it even better. The notes above were done as soon as I got back into the car while the bird was fresh in my mind...
Later I gave Boulmer a thrashing but it was very quiet. The only migrants seen were 1 Garden Warbler and 1 Wheatear.
So, in the county today, RB Shrike, Rosefinch, Icterine an Barred Warbler on Holy Island, Rosefinch at Newton, Icterines at Newbiggin and St Mary's...there'll be more tomorrow I bet. The weather is still looking good.
102. Garden Warbler.
4 comments:
Awesome find !!
Still there yesterday apparently...
and conveniantly timed to match my work finishing time - bargain!
Nice find BB. I thought I had one on my patch last year, but it was only briefly glimpsed, and it was on private ground!
Nice tick BB, one sadly still on my to see list. Looks like I've missed out a bit on what's in the County, just returned from 4 days north and had to miss out on a Farnes trip at the last minute, still the nesting Razorbills, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and fishing Sarnie Terns at Marsden were a nice consolation. Great China postings too.
BTW was your original photo taken on the Great Wall the old Chaiman Mao Secret Service... looked a dodgy crew up to no good :-)
Post a Comment