A male Spectacled Warbler has taken up residence in the Sueda Bushes around Gun Hill at Burnham Overy Staithe in North Norfolk. It has been there for some 9 days and has been building a so called cock-nest, something that sylvia warblers have a habit of doing, with the aim of trying to attract a mate. The bird is in constant song doing it's best to attract a female and so was relatively easy to locate. By and large the decent crowd of birders were well behaved and with patience and sitting quietly, something that many numbers of birders seem to find difficult to do, the bird would come relatively close. No, I'm not going to jump on my soap box….
There have been seven records in Britain of Spectacled Warbler and the previous two that I have seen were also long staying individuals – The Landguard (Suffolk) bird in 1997 and the bird on Tresco, Isles of Scilly during October of 2000.
An eventful day in North Norfolk, with the unique Suaeda habitat of the salt marsh being called Gorse of all things; the Spectacled Warbler being likened to a Lesser Whitethroat! and a Little Tern being identified as a Common Tern – amazing I must say…
Titchwell provided a few more year ticks – Spoonbill, Red-crested Pochard, Bearded Tit, with Marsh Harrier and Little Tern at Burnham Overy. The Year List moves on to 181.
Spectacled Warbler – male – Burnham Overy Staithe, North Norfolk – Tony Davison©
Little Tern – Burnham Overy Staithe, North Norfolk – Tony Davison©
D-Day Poppy – Choseley, North Norfolk – Tony Davison©
Avocet – Titchwell, North Norfolk – Tony Davison©
OK, you live in the far South – where?, I live in the far North – Stirling.
Midlands