wolfbirder
Well-known member
I never realised just how skulking these little critters were! Just spent two days at Spurn (28th & 29th May), I arrived early evening on 28th and went up Beacon Lane where i fairly quickly heard one in sub-song. Spent over an hour trying to obtain a briefest view, and was joined by a second birder. It was not even offering any view, altho eventually I just saw it fly across the path into a dense hedge and out of view again. No binocular views at all!
Then on 29th, I spent long spells around Rose Cottage (between Crown & Anchor and the Blue Bell) where another Marsh Warbler was singing, and again this bird frustrated the vast majority for long spells , even tho at times it was just two metres away singing on the blind side of the cottage's front garden fence, clearly making its way through nettles as it sang. Briefly on two occasions i saw it over the day- firstly chasing another warbler out of the tree where it had been singing from by the road, and then fly up from the fence at Rose Cottage into a tree, but just the briefest of naked eye views and no binocular views at all. A most frustrating UK tick for me (had similar poor views abroad).
Did anyone manage to get onto one of these elusive little buggars? A few reports suggest they were showing well!:smoke:
That aside I had a great day on 29th in the Spurn area - at 5am I was up along Spurn Point and I listened to a Thrush Nightingale by post 51 for an hour (this being close to Chalk bank Hide), but there was no flicker of movement from the dense bush it favoured. At 7.15a.m. I returned to the spot but there was no singing. Thankfully, a warden stopped and told me it had just been netted nearby at Wire Dump (presuming there was not a second bird) and it would be released at 7.30a.m. So I was one of about 40 birders who were briefly shown the bird at 7.30a.m at he Observatory. No rustiness in the tail at all.
That aside, 2 Golden Orioles (juv & male) seen during the day, 2 Red backed Shrikes including a cracking male at the point, just one Icterine Warbler seen at the point briefly, brief Bee-eater over Kilnsea church, brief Turtle Dove at point, several lesser Whitethroats, Spotted Flys, a weird singing Whitethroat at post 40 (there were plenty of Whitethroats), Wood Warbler showing very well at Crown & Anchor, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, 2 Redstarts, Cuckoo etc. Dipped on the Blk Redstart at the point, and also the Ortolan Bunting near Sammy's Point (tho I may have glimpsed it in flight).
It was hard work but a fantastic day and met some great people including 2 lads from Lincoln, and gary from Worcester. :t:
Then on 29th, I spent long spells around Rose Cottage (between Crown & Anchor and the Blue Bell) where another Marsh Warbler was singing, and again this bird frustrated the vast majority for long spells , even tho at times it was just two metres away singing on the blind side of the cottage's front garden fence, clearly making its way through nettles as it sang. Briefly on two occasions i saw it over the day- firstly chasing another warbler out of the tree where it had been singing from by the road, and then fly up from the fence at Rose Cottage into a tree, but just the briefest of naked eye views and no binocular views at all. A most frustrating UK tick for me (had similar poor views abroad).
Did anyone manage to get onto one of these elusive little buggars? A few reports suggest they were showing well!:smoke:
That aside I had a great day on 29th in the Spurn area - at 5am I was up along Spurn Point and I listened to a Thrush Nightingale by post 51 for an hour (this being close to Chalk bank Hide), but there was no flicker of movement from the dense bush it favoured. At 7.15a.m. I returned to the spot but there was no singing. Thankfully, a warden stopped and told me it had just been netted nearby at Wire Dump (presuming there was not a second bird) and it would be released at 7.30a.m. So I was one of about 40 birders who were briefly shown the bird at 7.30a.m at he Observatory. No rustiness in the tail at all.
That aside, 2 Golden Orioles (juv & male) seen during the day, 2 Red backed Shrikes including a cracking male at the point, just one Icterine Warbler seen at the point briefly, brief Bee-eater over Kilnsea church, brief Turtle Dove at point, several lesser Whitethroats, Spotted Flys, a weird singing Whitethroat at post 40 (there were plenty of Whitethroats), Wood Warbler showing very well at Crown & Anchor, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, 2 Redstarts, Cuckoo etc. Dipped on the Blk Redstart at the point, and also the Ortolan Bunting near Sammy's Point (tho I may have glimpsed it in flight).
It was hard work but a fantastic day and met some great people including 2 lads from Lincoln, and gary from Worcester. :t:
