Wednesday 2nd October: Yellow-browed Warbler

At last something decent to report on the Meadow! I went for my usual late afternoon walk around the Meadow, more to stretch my legs rather than in any hope of finding something decent. Still the Golden Plover numbers have gone up to 120 birds, there are also about 50 Lapwings, 75 Linnets, 10+ Meadow Pipits and at least 5 YELLOW WAGTAILS. 

Given the huge numbers of Yellow-browed Warblers that have been turning up along the east coast I have been scouring the trees and hedges on my walks each day, more in hope than any realistic expectation of finding one of these Siberian gems. I'd just finished my tour today and at about 5:50pm was walking up the road by the car park at the bottom of Walton Well Road when I was woken from my reverie by the unmistakable call of a YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER. I couldn't quite believe it! It flew from the trees next to the car park across the road to the Willows between the road and the Meadow. There's still lots of cover in the trees but I managed to follow it for about half an hour getting regular views as it worked its way in a circuit along these Willows, across to the trees between the car park and the Castle Mill Stream and then back into the copse of mixed trees between the car park and the road where I'd first found it. It only seemed to call when it flew from one area to the other, otherwise working silently and reasonably slowly along the trees.

I know that several keen county birders will be there tomorrow morning at first light looking for it - let's hope that it sticks around for others to enjoy.

In the fading light I had no chance of a photo so here's an absolutely fantastic shot taken by Dave Perrett (c) of one in Shetland recently. I've used photos of Dave's before (of a Pallas' Warbler) - he takes some of the best birding photos that I've seen on the internet.