I think I read somewhere last year that the first male grasshopper warblers to arrive in these islands are prone to singing from more exposed perches than is their wont later in the season, so it might be easier to get to see one at his time of year. Does anyone know if this is true, and if so, what time in March or April should I begin trying, and what time of morning or evening might be best? I know a few local grobbler sites where I've heard them while out cycling, but I've never seen one except on passage on an island. Any advice gratefully accepted.
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How to find early Grobblers (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sancho
- Start date
In my experience, early morning and evening are always best for seeing and hearing Grasshopper Warblers. I would say that they're easiest to see early morning, although that means getting up early! I don't know about early arrivers being more showy but I've often found that late singing birds (e.g. in July, early August) tend to perch more prominently than birds singing earlier. I've no idea why though.
Touty
Well-known member
Sancho said:
Grasshopper Warbler is a fairly early migrant to UK. I would put the second half of April as a good compromise between numbers arriving and vegetation thickening. You're at a distinct disdvantage this year inasmuch as the veg. will be very thick by the time the birds arrive. Newly-arrived birds sing pretty much continually. Sitting still near a song post will usually produce a view sooner or later. Birds often sidle up out of the new growth (of nettles or similar) along a woody twig still standing from last year, have a quick peep (while still singing) and shuffle down again.
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
Presumably 'Grobblers' is the Irish equivalent of the British 'Groppers'? Never heard it before.
Steve
Steve
Not sure if some mates and I are the only ones to use it, I assumed it was in general use. We've extended it to "Wooblers" (Wood Warblers) and "Wobblers" (Willow Warblers) too, just to confuse the issue and cause the Tribal Elders to stroke their beards and mutter "Harumph, Harumph!"Steve Lister said:
. Meanwhile, I'll let all know if my "see a Grasshopper Warbler in song" project produces results this spring (I felt that seeing one on passage on an island was kind of cheating!). Now that I think of it, "Gropper" sounds more definitive and clipped, "Grobbler" sounds like a noun for someone who babbles and drools in the back of a psychiatric hospital's ambulance......
Touty
Well-known member
Sancho said:Not sure if some mates and I are the only ones to use it, I assumed it was in general use. We've extended it to "Wooblers" (Wood Warblers) and "Wobblers" (Willow Warblers) too, just to confuse the issue and cause the Tribal Elders to stroke their beards and mutter "Harumph, Harumph!"
Why are Willow Warblers "Wobblers" and not "Wibblers"?
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Touty said:
So people don't stick their pants on their head, two pencils up their nose and go "Wibbler, Wibbler" presumably.
John
