On the morning of Monday 10th June 2013, one of the local birders at Carsington Reservoir discovered a singing Marsh Warbler. A great find and only the 6th record for the county and the first twitchable bird for many years. The last county record was in 2009 and if my memory serves me, this bird was seen carrying nesting material and was therefore kept quiet.
A county tick for me and I dare say for a number of other county listers. The bird was singing from an area of willow scrub, nettles and ornamental bushes and small trees behind the main visitors centre on Stones Island. It was very skulking and showed intermittently and all to briefly amongst dense vegetation. There was plenty of interaction between it and a pair of nearby nesting Garden Warblers. As is typical of Marsh Warbler, whilst the bird was in song it was mimicking numerous different birdspecies and Common Rosefinch, Bee-eater, Sedge Warbler and a snippet of what sounded like Collard Partincole, could be heard.
Alan Shaw, under windy conditions, managed to get some remarkably good video of the bird and has kindly allowed me to use two of his video grabs, both of which are featured below. Many thanks Alan. The bird was not present this morning, 11th June 2013. Year list moves on to 196.
Marsh Warbler – Carsington Reservoir, Derbyshire. 10th June 2013 – Images (Video Grabs) courtesy of Alan Shaw©
