Sedge Warblers away from wetland habitats (1 Viewer)

[foresttwitcher]

For reasons of Covid and changed personal circumstances my birding for the last couple of years has been restricted to my daily dog walking route in the Chilterns (SE England). This takes me through a small triangular area of ex-agricultural land that was isolated by the construction of a by-pass in the mid-80s. Bounded on two sides by housing on the edge of a market town and on the third by a road with arable fields beyond, this patch has scrubbed over naturally and become a good area for warblers (and other birds) - Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common & Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler.

Being in the Chilterns and on chalk there is no wetland habitat anywhere nearby, not even damp ditches. The nearest water of any kind is a small but 'urbanised' chalk stream flowing through the town, generally with no suitable vegetation, which is at least half a mile away and a man made lake, with some reeds and marginal vegetation, over a mile away.

For each of the last two springs I have had 1 day singing Sedge Warblers, which I assumed were recently arrived migrants that had put down in the scrub to feed up and prospect for suitable habitat but which had moved on shortly afterward.

This morning there was a bird singing in a dense area of tall umbellifers surrounded by blackthorn & hawthorn scrub. Is it in any way usual to find a Sedge Warbler this far away from water or wetland outside the migration season?

 

[KenM]

This is return passage time for Sedge Warbler, many years ago talking to my next door neighbour over our respective drives (first week of July).
I was amazed to see a SW moving through his gradient rockery, well stocked with small shrubs and heathers, towards my belt of conifers, before moving through, then across the lawn into my hedge….not a drop of water anywhere, save a shallow stream (non Acro habitat) some 60m away.

Also once encountered two birds mid-May in a Bird Cherry tree in a WC2 park completely devoid of water, during overcast drizzly conditions.

Cheers

 

[foresttwitcher]

Not surprised by your May sighting, Ken - they could turn up anywhere on migration. But I would have thought early July was too early for return passage and if it was a migrating bird why would it be singing? But you could be right.

 

[KenM]

I can recall in the early noughties certainly on two occasions, bird strike Sedge Warblers handed to me at the tower base of (then Citi Group) Canary Wharf.
Again if memory serves July 4th rings a bell (Independence day).

Cheers

 

[a_j_steele]

Lots of areas especially in the north east I had sedge with little to none fresh water where there obviously a few birds on territories, Bempton Cliffs and Barnburgh Castle are two examples where thats seems to be case so maybe there more suited that we know to slightly different habbits

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Pretty sure I've read somewhere of them breeding in rape fields.

 

[KenM]

Here’s a “singing” bird found 26th April 2015, outside a commercial building fire escape, adjacent to London Wall EC2, in a “totally dry” situation!

Cheers

 

[foresttwitcher]

Thanks all, it was not singing in the same spot this morning so I guess a return passage bird is the best bet.

 

[greer3]

There's been three Sedge Warbler which have been on territory since May, in dense, overgrown hedgrows, not near any wetland habitats. The hedges are bounded by either paths or a road on one side and grazing or arable fields on the other. I read about one which attempted to nest in an entrance to a leisure park building, in artificial shrubs. The only water anywhere near was the indoor swimming pool!

 

[KenM]

There's been three Sedge Warbler which have been on territory since May, in dense, overgrown hedgrows, not near any wetland habitats. The hedges are bounded by either paths or a road on one side and grazing or arable fields on the other. I read about one which attempted to nest in an entrance to a leisure park building, in artificial shrubs. The only water anywhere near was the indoor swimming pool!

Whereabouts in the country greer?

 

[greer3]

Whereabouts in the country greer?

South Cumbria in the Holme area. I usually expect to find them in hedgrows running along wet ditches, so seeing them in these locations is rather unusual.

 

[MJB]

Pretty sure I've read somewhere of them breeding in rape fields.

Indeed. I quite often encountered that inland from the Moray coast in the 1980s and 1990s. One reason given at the time was that it was overspill from primary habitat being full to capacity, but I've not read anything since then that argues otherwise.
MJB

 

[kb57]

Pretty sure I've read somewhere of them breeding in rape fields.

I've actually seen this in Northumberland on a couple of sites.

 

[kb57]

Indeed. I quite often encountered that inland from the Moray coast in the 1980s and 1990s. One reason given at the time was that it was overspill from primary habitat being full to capacity, but I've not read anything since then that argues otherwise.
MJB

Just noticed you'd already replied in the affirmative...my records were in the early 2010s, also not far from the coast. One site had suitable wetland habitats reasonably close by that were indeed occupied by sedge warblers and could be considered 'full' - the other was on much drier habitat on the whinstone outcrop several km from the nearest wetland habitats.

 

[greer3]

I mentioned resident Sedge Warblers in the Holme area, Cumbria.
Yesterday there were three very noisy Sedge Warblers in one of the places, in hedgrows alongside a farm track not bounded by any ditches. On the other side of the hedges are grazing fields or fields left to grow wild. Not sure if they are an indication of succesful breeding or passage birds.

 

[davercox]

For reasons of Covid and changed personal circumstances my birding for the last couple of years has been restricted to my daily dog walking route in the Chilterns (SE England). This takes me through a small triangular area of ex-agricultural land that was isolated by the construction of a by-pass in the mid-80s. Bounded on two sides by housing on the edge of a market town and on the third by a road with arable fields beyond, this patch has scrubbed over naturally and become a good area for warblers (and other birds) - Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common & Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler.

Being in the Chilterns and on chalk there is no wetland habitat anywhere nearby, not even damp ditches. The nearest water of any kind is a small but 'urbanised' chalk stream flowing through the town, generally with no suitable vegetation, which is at least half a mile away and a man made lake, with some reeds and marginal vegetation, over a mile away.

For each of the last two springs I have had 1 day singing Sedge Warblers, which I assumed were recently arrived migrants that had put down in the scrub to feed up and prospect for suitable habitat but which had moved on shortly afterward.

This morning there was a bird singing in a dense area of tall umbellifers surrounded by blackthorn & hawthorn scrub. Is it in any way usual to find a Sedge Warbler this far away from water or wetland outside the migration season?

I lived on the edge of High Wycombe years ago, and like you I found Sedge Warblers singing in summer; these were in an abandoned orchard a good way from any sort of wetland.

 

[foresttwitcher]

I lived on the edge of High Wycombe years ago, and like you I found Sedge Warblers singing in summer; these were in an abandoned orchard a good way from any sort of wetland.

Thanks. Seems like I've not been getting out enough in the past!