Wednesday 5 October 2016

Yellow browed warbler on the Clettwr?

Elaine has just mailed me as I'm dying to find this lovely little bird.  Sounds the real deal to me and as they often hang around I'm publishing this though as she says she doesn't want to be responsible for a 'wild warbler chase'!!

'Do you remember that you told me to go off and look for a yellow browed warbler? Well I did and I think I might have found one. Ian and I were walking down by the Clettwr river and just at the end of the lane we saw 'it'.  Small, fine bill, notch in tail, very strong long supersilium, and vertical creamy bar on wings. When it hung on the twigs showing it's back there was also pattening there. Would it be likely to be seen in that location - the book says scrub along coasts. There was something making a loud noise that sounded to me like it was saying 'suet' but I am hopeless at bird calls* so that probably doesn't mean any thing. I heard the call as we were walking down (when we did see the bird) and also when we were coming back (when we didn't). It was persistent not just a few calls.

 * that is Elaine being modest again.  She has a good ear and is patient and attentive to detail.
Incidentally I don't know what book she refers to and it may be true for Norfolk but elsewhere it likes willow/birch near water.
Anyone wanting to hear the call: http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Phylloscopus-inornatus