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| Icterine Warbler - Filey, 29th July 2019 |
Showing posts with label Icterine Warbler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Icterine Warbler. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Icterine Warbler
A nice bonus on our week's break in the area...
Saturday, 26 May 2018
Triple flycatchers...
Holy Island was our destination this morning, and the highlight was managing my first-ever self found Red-breasted Flycatcher on the Snook - a bird which proved a bit elusive, but did show well with patience.
At Snook House the Icterine Warbler appeared again for us, first in the plantation and then singing in the house's garden. A Pied Flycatcher was also in the Snook plantation, while a Spotted Flycatcher in the pines was our third flycatcher species of the day.
The rest of the island was quiet, and sadly we had to leave due to other commitments in the afternoon, so we did miss out on a couple of things seen later on, but we were still really pleased with our morning.
At Snook House the Icterine Warbler appeared again for us, first in the plantation and then singing in the house's garden. A Pied Flycatcher was also in the Snook plantation, while a Spotted Flycatcher in the pines was our third flycatcher species of the day.
The rest of the island was quiet, and sadly we had to leave due to other commitments in the afternoon, so we did miss out on a couple of things seen later on, but we were still really pleased with our morning.
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| Red-breasted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Pied Flycatcher |
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| Icterine Warbler - possibly the worst ever photo on my blog!? |
Tuesday, 25 August 2015
What a day!!
An arrival of migrants on Sunday afternoon meant we were keen to get back up to Holy Island on Monday. Thankfully it did not disappoint!
After an early start, we arrived on the island at half seven. The sun was out and without any wind it was feeling pretty warm already. We started at Chare Ends and our very first bird of the day was a brilliant Wood Warbler in the sycamores, the first time I'd seen one on passage. We had a good feeling about the day at that point!
The rest of the bushes there held good numbers of common migrants. When we reached the willow in between Chare Ends and The Excavations my dad whistled me around to his side of the tree. He'd found an Icterine Warbler! The bird showed well as it made the most of the morning heat. It also shared the willow with 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Garden Warbler and some Willow Warblers.
In a willow near the Excavations I managed my third self-found Wryneck in five days. It was interesting to see it being mobbed by a Willow Warbler. Shortly after my dad found a different Wryneck at Chare Ends. Both birds were quite flighty and failed to provide a good photo opportunity. There was no scarcities at the Straight Lonnen or in the village, but more common migrants kept our spirits up.
By now the number of tourists had built, so we decided to head down to the Snook. At the plantation I got a very brief view of a bird that I was sure was a Barred Warbler. After another hour it didn't show again, but was confirmed later by other observers. There was also 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and 4 Garden Warblers in here.
In the Snook House garden I spotted another Icterine Warbler in the sycamores. A few brief views only of this bird. Just to the west the juvenile Red-backed Shrike was showing. After some fieldcraft and a coating of Pirri-Pirri Birs I got a photo of the Shrike which I'm quite pleased with.
Also on the Snook we missed yet another Icterine Warbler and Wryneck which had been seen by others. 5 Whinchats were perched on a dune slack here. When we came back to the plantation to try and get another view of the Barred Warbler, three birders told us about a Greenish Warbler that they'd found at the Excavations, and showed us a good photo of it. Having only seen about a second of a Greenish Warbler before I successfully persuaded my dad to drive us back into the village.
Once we had legged it through the dunes and reached the Excavations we started searching. Forty minutes later we could only find a single Reed and Willow Warbler, so started to head back to the car. On the way back we noticed a movement in the last willow in the Excavations. Then out popped the Greenish Warbler! This brilliant little bird gave us some great views as it actively moved about in the bushes, and I enjoyed hearing it call once. It took a while to get a photo of it in the open as it never stayed still for very long. By the time I managed the light was starting to fade.
After 11 hours we were completely exhausted but very happy with our day on Holy Island. Here's the full migrant counts...
1 Greenish Warbler
2 Icterine Warbler
1 Barred Warbler
2 Wryneck
1 Red-backed Shrike
1 Wood Warbler
20 Garden Warbler
20 Pied Flycatcher
8 Spotted Flycatcher
4 Redstart
10 Whinchat
39 Willow Warbler
12 Chiffchaff
1 Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
2 Reed Warbler
After an early start, we arrived on the island at half seven. The sun was out and without any wind it was feeling pretty warm already. We started at Chare Ends and our very first bird of the day was a brilliant Wood Warbler in the sycamores, the first time I'd seen one on passage. We had a good feeling about the day at that point!
The rest of the bushes there held good numbers of common migrants. When we reached the willow in between Chare Ends and The Excavations my dad whistled me around to his side of the tree. He'd found an Icterine Warbler! The bird showed well as it made the most of the morning heat. It also shared the willow with 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Garden Warbler and some Willow Warblers.
In a willow near the Excavations I managed my third self-found Wryneck in five days. It was interesting to see it being mobbed by a Willow Warbler. Shortly after my dad found a different Wryneck at Chare Ends. Both birds were quite flighty and failed to provide a good photo opportunity. There was no scarcities at the Straight Lonnen or in the village, but more common migrants kept our spirits up.
By now the number of tourists had built, so we decided to head down to the Snook. At the plantation I got a very brief view of a bird that I was sure was a Barred Warbler. After another hour it didn't show again, but was confirmed later by other observers. There was also 3 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and 4 Garden Warblers in here.
In the Snook House garden I spotted another Icterine Warbler in the sycamores. A few brief views only of this bird. Just to the west the juvenile Red-backed Shrike was showing. After some fieldcraft and a coating of Pirri-Pirri Birs I got a photo of the Shrike which I'm quite pleased with.
Also on the Snook we missed yet another Icterine Warbler and Wryneck which had been seen by others. 5 Whinchats were perched on a dune slack here. When we came back to the plantation to try and get another view of the Barred Warbler, three birders told us about a Greenish Warbler that they'd found at the Excavations, and showed us a good photo of it. Having only seen about a second of a Greenish Warbler before I successfully persuaded my dad to drive us back into the village.
Once we had legged it through the dunes and reached the Excavations we started searching. Forty minutes later we could only find a single Reed and Willow Warbler, so started to head back to the car. On the way back we noticed a movement in the last willow in the Excavations. Then out popped the Greenish Warbler! This brilliant little bird gave us some great views as it actively moved about in the bushes, and I enjoyed hearing it call once. It took a while to get a photo of it in the open as it never stayed still for very long. By the time I managed the light was starting to fade.
After 11 hours we were completely exhausted but very happy with our day on Holy Island. Here's the full migrant counts...
1 Greenish Warbler
2 Icterine Warbler
1 Barred Warbler
2 Wryneck
1 Red-backed Shrike
1 Wood Warbler
20 Garden Warbler
20 Pied Flycatcher
8 Spotted Flycatcher
4 Redstart
10 Whinchat
39 Willow Warbler
12 Chiffchaff
1 Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
2 Reed Warbler
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| Greenish Warbler |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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Icterine Warbler and Willow Warbler in the willow between Chare Ends and the Excavations.
Icterine Warbler in the garden at Snook House.
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| Wood Warbler |
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| Spot the Wryneck! |
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| Pied Flycatchers |
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| Redstart |
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| Garden Warbler |
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| Whinchats |
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| Willow Warbler |
Thursday, 20 August 2015
Wryneck & Icky...
Despite spending five hours on Holy Island we never left the Snook. When we arrived we settled into our usual routine of one of us walking around the back of the bushes while the other waits on the opposite side to wait if anything pops out. Straight away my dad got a brief view of an Icterine Warbler in the plantation just east of Snook House.
An hour later there was no further sign of the Warbler, so I decided to walk around the back of the plantation again. It was then I noticed a shape on a dead branch. A quick look through the bins confirmed my suspicion; a Wryneck! I managed to raise the camera and fire off a few shots before it flew off the branch, and we couldn't find it again.
The highlight of a search around the Half Moon Slack and nearby pines was a brief male Redstart. Back at the plantation a small group of birders had appeared hoping to see the Wryneck. The Icterine Warbler showed briefly once on a branch and twice in flight before disappearing again. At least I managed to see it this time!
The totals were:
1 Wryneck
1 Icterine Warbler
1 Redstart
1 Garden Warbler
1 Reed Warbler
1 Yellow Wagtail - flew over.
1 Merlin
2 Chiffchaff
3+ Willow Warbler
An hour later there was no further sign of the Warbler, so I decided to walk around the back of the plantation again. It was then I noticed a shape on a dead branch. A quick look through the bins confirmed my suspicion; a Wryneck! I managed to raise the camera and fire off a few shots before it flew off the branch, and we couldn't find it again.
The highlight of a search around the Half Moon Slack and nearby pines was a brief male Redstart. Back at the plantation a small group of birders had appeared hoping to see the Wryneck. The Icterine Warbler showed briefly once on a branch and twice in flight before disappearing again. At least I managed to see it this time!
The totals were:
1 Wryneck
1 Icterine Warbler
1 Redstart
1 Garden Warbler
1 Reed Warbler
1 Yellow Wagtail - flew over.
1 Merlin
2 Chiffchaff
3+ Willow Warbler
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| Wryneck - the intricate plumage details on the Wryneck makes it one of my favourite birds. |
Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Norfolk - Days 7 & 8
A couple of twitches on our last two days. First the Icterine Warbler at Burnham Overy. It could be very elusive at times but showed well in the end, with a Pied Flycatcher in the same bushes.
And our last bird of the trip: the Red-footed Falcon at Willow Tree Fen. It also showed well but at quite long range. In the end we gave up with taking photos and just enjoyed the bird, so below are some of the worst photos you'll see of the bird! A Brown Hawker also patrolled the grassland here.
And our last bird of the trip: the Red-footed Falcon at Willow Tree Fen. It also showed well but at quite long range. In the end we gave up with taking photos and just enjoyed the bird, so below are some of the worst photos you'll see of the bird! A Brown Hawker also patrolled the grassland here.
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| Icterine Warbler |
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| Red-footed Falcon |
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Spring Migrants!
I had one of my best days birding ever today. We went to only two sites: Holy Island and East Chevington. Immediately after arriving at Holy Island at 8 o'clock, my Dad did well to find a male Red-backed Shrike in the fog at Chare Ends. Walking around the dunes north of the straight Lonnen we could find no more than a Pied Flycatcher and a few Lesser Whitethroats. While walking down the Straight Lonnen we received news of a probable Lesser Grey Shrike in the main car park. Soon after reaching the car park we were watching the brilliant male Lesser Grey Shrike along the edges of some fields. After seeing the Shrike we decided to have a look in the Vicar's Garden, where we found a Icterine Warbler. At least one Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher were also in the garden. More news of the Rustic Bunting prompted us to go to the Snook, though after thoroughly searching the area it had last been seen we could find no more than a Tree Pipit. On the way back to the car I walked over a dune to find a male and female Red-backed Shrike sitting next to each other in the same bush! A nice addition to my self found list. Some of the migrant totals at Holy Island were:
3 Red-backed Shrike
1 Lesser Grey Shrike
1 Icterine Warbler
2+ Tree Pipit
8+ Lesser Whitethroat
3 Pied Flycatcher
2 Spotted Flycatcher
2 Redstart
4 Garden Warbler
4 Whitethroat
On the way back we had a look for the Great Reed Warbler at Chevington. We heard it singing several times and glimpsed it a few times.
3 Red-backed Shrike
1 Lesser Grey Shrike
1 Icterine Warbler
2+ Tree Pipit
8+ Lesser Whitethroat
3 Pied Flycatcher
2 Spotted Flycatcher
2 Redstart
4 Garden Warbler
4 Whitethroat
On the way back we had a look for the Great Reed Warbler at Chevington. We heard it singing several times and glimpsed it a few times.
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| Red-backed Shrikes |
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| Lesser Grey Shrike |
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| Icterine Warbler |
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| Pied Flycatchers |
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