One Cetti's warbler still singing away yesterday evening.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
John Watson said
Sat Apr 20 9:00 AM, 2019
Probably just an air rifle, but police take firearms very seriously nowadays
You're right to trust your instincts, though
colin davies said
Sat Apr 20 8:30 AM, 2019
6:00 - 08:00 today:
Mediterranean gull 2 adults flying around calling over the sewage works
Whitethroat 2 singing
Cetti's warbler 2 singing in the usual locations.
A disappointing visit to Hope Carr, my first visit for a week due to work and I thought there might be something new in but no, everything was pretty much as I left it. To make matters worse there was a guy with a riffle wandering around and a couple of other strange characters. I think I'm about done with the place to be honest, I've felt uncomfortable here for a while now and combined with the fact that I just don't get any pleasure out of this type of birding these days I just don't think it's worth it anymore.
colin davies said
Sun Apr 14 8:40 PM, 2019
8:30 - 10:30 today:
Sand martin 400 mainly feeding over the sewage works
Swallow 10
Goosander 1 male, the first goosander I have seen at the site in over two weeks.
Mediterranean gull 1 calling but not seen.
Oystercatcher 5
Tufted duck 26
Teal 14
Blackcap, chiffchaffs and willow warblers.
-- Edited by colin davies on Sunday 14th of April 2019 08:41:38 PM
colin davies said
Sat Apr 13 6:58 PM, 2019
8:00 - 10:00 today:
Raven 2
Shelduck 2
Teal 16
Shoveler 2
Gadwall 30
Tufted duck 22
Greylag 2 flew over
Willow warbler 4 singing
Blackcap 10 singing
Chiffchaff 10 singing
Sand martin 40
Oystercatcher 2
Not much changing at the moment!
colin davies said
Fri Apr 12 5:45 PM, 2019
Two visits today, 8:00 - 9:30 and 13:00 - 14:30 produced:
Raven 2 flew over and briefly landed in the sewage works
Whitethroat 1 singing
Cetti's warbler 1 singing
Sand Martin 70
Swallow 10
Blackcap 10 singing
Chiffchaff 8 singing
Willow warbler 3 singing
Shelduck 2
Yellowhammer 2
colin davies said
Thu Apr 11 8:19 PM, 2019
8:30 - 10:00 today:
Sand martin 20
Willow warbler 4 singing
Blackcap 10 singing
Chiffchaff 10 singing
Tufted duck 47
Teal 14
Oystercatcher 2
colin davies said
Mon Apr 8 4:50 PM, 2019
9:30 - 11:30 today:
Willow warbler 1 singing, my first of the year
Green sandpiper 1 on the brook
Cetti's warbler 2 singing
Swallow 10
Sand martin 50
Tufted duck 57
No doubt that there were 2 Cetti's warblers, they were about 200m apart and after hearing the second I went back to the location of the first and it was still there.
-- Edited by colin davies on Monday 8th of April 2019 04:52:32 PM
colin davies said
Sun Apr 7 7:16 PM, 2019
Two visits today, 8:15-10:15 and again 14:00-16:30 produced the following:
House martin 2
Sand martin 200
Swallow 20
Blackcap 10 singing
Chiffchaff 12 singing
Cetti's warbler 1 singing
Shelduck 2
Tufted duck 39
Teal 10
Gadwall 40
Shoveler 1 male
Peregrine 1 adult
Oystercatcher 5
Greylag goose 2 flew over
Great tit 1 (partially?) melanistic
Black-headed gull 100 including leucistic bird (see photo) on fields between reserve and A580, then later on sewage works.
Goosander 19 (5 males, 14 red heads) - site record for me
Tufted duck 15
Kingfisher 1
Chiffchaff 6+ singing
colin davies said
Wed Mar 13 4:11 PM, 2019
13:00 - 15:00 today:
Green sandpiper 1
Goosander 15 (inc. 7 males)
Tufted duck 30 (inc. 22 males)
Kingfisher 1
Peregrine 1 adult
Shelduck 2 (male & female)
Tree sparrow 10
Willow tit 1
colin davies said
Fri Mar 8 1:08 PM, 2019
This morning, 8:30 - 11:30:
Shelduck 2
Oystercatcher 2
Goosander 9 (4 males, 5 females)
Peregrine 1
Tufted duck 7 (5 males, 2 females)
Chiffchaff at least 3 singing
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Mar 1 1:24 PM, 2019
3 Chiffchaff were together by the perimeter fence brambles this morning and a flock of 8 curlew flew over low north.
Info thanks to Andy Makin
colin davies said
Tue Feb 26 1:44 PM, 2019
Highlights from this morning:
Mediterranean gull 3 adults. Pair together on filter tanks including the bird (female?) with a ring on its left leg, both with virtually complete hoods. A third bird flew over with a lot more white around its bill.
Shelduck 1 male
Pochard 1 male
Tufted duck 14 (10 males, 4 females)
Goosander 3 (male & 2 females)
Willow tit 2
No sign of the Blyth's reed warbler up to 11:45. There were about 5 birders looking and another 3 arrived just as I left.
colin davies said
Mon Feb 25 7:14 PM, 2019
Just a quick visit for me today produced a singing Cetti's warbler and drake pochard, along with 11 tufted ducks and three goosander. The Cetti's warbler was well away from the area in which I heard one singing previously on 6th Feb so potentially a different bird I suppose. The pochard was species number 82 for me at the site this year.
pete berry said
Mon Feb 25 5:13 PM, 2019
The Blyths Reed showed a couple times today briefly at about 12.30 opp.the far end of the grey fence and again in same spot as I located it yesterday for 10 mins flycatching and showing well at 2.20pm.Info thanks to Brian and Dave and another.
pete berry said
Sun Feb 24 6:13 PM, 2019
Popped in again this afternoon to see if any news for my mate. About 6 birders who had been there since 8am hadn't seen the bird. I decided to walk along the edge of the works to check the small trees and almost immediately found the bird feeding fairly high up in the trees along the banking about 200m along there from the original area.There was also a Chiffchaff in the general area feeding fairly high up as well. Obviously it's food supply has dispersed due to the hot weather and the midges etc were no longer sheltering in the brambles.
Tim Wilcox said
Sun Feb 24 4:23 PM, 2019
Blyth's Reed Warbler eventually showed very well from 2.50pm feeding along the fenceline viewed from the track next to the metal sewage works fence.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Feb 23 8:34 PM, 2019
Tim Wilcox wrote:
We decided the Blyth's Reed Warbler must've departed sometime on Wednesday as it warmed up. There was no show anywhere at any of the patches of bramble where it had previously been seen.
Perhaps unlikely to depart just yet Tim, not only as the bird probably thinks it's on its wintering grounds but more, certainly up to a couple of weeks ago, it was still completing its primary moult.
phillipskelly said
Sat Feb 23 5:46 PM, 2019
Arrived at 12:30pm hoping to see a Black redstart or Mediterranean gull but spotted the Blyth's Reed warbler instead around 1:15ish ( my second time) low in the willow/ sycamore trees just behind it's usual spot in the brambles between the fence and gate . It was only a brief view compared today last time but I was able to put another visiting birder from Everton on to it through my scope, unfortunately his two mates couldn't get up the mound fast enough to see it. Other birds ...... Sparrowhawk. 1. Meadow pipit. 5. ( or the same one 5 times on sewerage). Oystercatcher. 1. And when the Sparrowhawk appeared the gulls went up as well as over 100 Wagtail sp.
pete berry said
Sat Feb 23 12:50 PM, 2019
Popped into Hope Carr late morning to see if bird was showing as I've got a mate coming up later in week who was hoping to see it.As previous report no sign all morning with birders being there from 8am.I checked several other bramble patches further afield but again no sign of bird. It's either gone or extended it range further around the site.
Tim Wilcox said
Sat Feb 23 12:33 PM, 2019
Late news from yesterday. In glorious sunshine I spent three hours with some other birders who had been there since 6am. We decided the Blyth's Reed Warbler must've departed sometime on Wednesday as it warmed up. There was no show anywhere at any of the patches of bramble where it had previously been seen.
First Chiffchaff of the year and Meadow Pipits passing through were the only birds of slight interest..
Rob Creek said
Sun Feb 17 9:23 AM, 2019
Sunday 17th Feb
- Blyths Reed Warbler (Lifer) Having only seen the rear end of this bird dive away into brambles, this sighting now counts as my Lifer! The bird has shown 4 or 5 times this morning, the longest for around 10-15 seconds, slightly obscured at times but did show out in the open briefly in main bramble patch. It is calling quite often and making the rattle sound too. One thing of note...theres no sun, and its cold with windy spells so out goes the theory that it needs to be sunny and no wind.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 17th of February 2019 06:55:38 PM
Good to speak Rob (and Rob S) - I was there from around noon to 4pm, no sighting of the Blyth's Reed Warbler.
The call/song Rob mentions sounded very 'acro' to me - a quick rattle and a contrasting, rising flutey tone off the back of it, there are definitely similar ones on xeno canto - but no bird showed so just down as a maybe.
Rob Creek said
Sat Feb 16 9:32 PM, 2019
Another visit today after work, nice to see Rob Smallwood and to meet Andy Mitchell.
No sighting of the Blyths Reed Warbler for me, but whilst stood with Andy we heard a quick burst of song from the brambles that was hard to describe. It was like a flutey rattle with what I can only describe as sounding like a musical scale.
Rob Smallwood said
Sat Feb 16 7:39 PM, 2019
I was there from 11.30ish to just before dusk. No joy with the Blyths Reed Warbler. It was reported just before I arrived but on site that sighting may have been earlier than reported. It was relocated further down the perimeter fence early afternoon but by the time I got there it had gone to ground again. After that it was possibly heard once. There were a fair few people trying to convince themselves that they'd had a tickable view!
-- Edited by Rob Smallwood on Sunday 17th of February 2019 12:58:53 PM
Craig Higson said
Sat Feb 16 7:32 PM, 2019
Having been lucky enough to see the Blyth's Reed Warbler a couple of weeks ago I have made a couple of visits now to try and see the Black Redstart. I honestly didn't expect many people to be there today but there were a good 10-15 birders when I arrived at 12 ish. I didn't manage to see the Black redstart (or the warbler) but did get Peregrine and Green Sandpiper as well as catching up with some friends, including a couple from across the Pennines
ray banks said
Sat Feb 16 4:01 PM, 2019
Highlights from today 9.00 - 14.30
Blyths Reed Warbler
Mediterranean Gull ad sum
Green Sandpiper 1
Oystercatcher 2
Peregrine 1
Goosander m&f
Tufted Duck 16 (11males 5female)
Willow Tit
Tree Sparrow
also yesterday Pochard 1 male
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Feb 16 8:55 AM, 2019
Blyth’s Reed Warbler showing this morning in the usual brambles by the metal fence.
Info thanks to Simon Gough
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Feb 15 8:43 PM, 2019
John Rayner wrote:
Andy Bissitt wrote:
It now ought to be a formality () for anyone yet to see it in the coming days. Good luck.
Andy
Very nearly the kiss of death Andy, but a late afternoon report on RBA saved your bacon.
Cheers John
Obviously my choice of emoji was at fault here, but I don't think they do a 'tongue in cheek' one, do they? My sense of humour is sometimes hard to grasp.
Cheers,
Andy
Doc Brewster said
Fri Feb 15 8:31 PM, 2019
Good to see Rob Creek and Andy Makin there too, kept me entertained chatting for the hours that I spent trying to get a second look at this bird. All to no avail. Andy and two visiting birders had seperate heard only recordsof the bird today mid afternoon. I'm not sure whether this is what made it onto the pager as reports saying that the bird was very elusive, rather than a confirmed sighting. Still worth the visit with yearticks of Mediterranean Gull and Green Sandpiper, whereas the Blyth's Reed Warbler wouldn't have even been a yeartick!!
Mike Chorley said
Fri Feb 15 8:23 PM, 2019
Sounds like our middle visit then, Rob. That was welder's weather . It certainly isn't. Good luck.
Rob Creek said
Fri Feb 15 6:00 PM, 2019
It was sunny Mike but there was a chilly breeze through the site. No birding is ever a formality is it, Ill try again!
Mike Chorley said
Fri Feb 15 5:19 PM, 2019
What were the local weather conditions there today? From my lofty perch up in Oldham it looked distinctly smoggy to the west unlike yesterday. On two of our previous visits the weather has been good here but overcast/foggy when we arrived (It was an arctic blast on the other visit) As one of our group still needs to see the bird it's worth knowing before he spends another day admiring the brambles.
John Rayner said
Fri Feb 15 5:09 PM, 2019
Andy Bissitt wrote:
It now ought to be a formality () for anyone yet to see it in the coming days. Good luck.
Andy
Very nearly the kiss of death Andy, but a late afternoon report on RBA saved your bacon.
Cheers John
Rob Creek said
Fri Feb 15 12:36 PM, 2019
Friday 15th Feb
Nice to see Andy Makin and Paul Brewster.
A rare day off as Ive got a funeral this afternoon, so I thought Id take advantage of the forecast sun and get there at first light, parking on the main road Greenfold Way near the butty van. A couple of cars were already parked on the road up to the sewage works, and even more when I walked back to the car. Well despite at least 3 hours there, the Blyths Reed Warbler was a no show up to me leaving at 11.35am.
Other birds of note... - 1 adult Mediterranean Gull (on filter beds) - 1 Black Redstart (briefly and distant) - 1 Green Sandpiper (stood on one of the silos) - 7 Oystercatcher - 1 Common Buzzard - 1 Song Thrush - 5 Grey Wagtail - 4 Meadow Pipit
steven burke said
Thu Feb 14 10:44 PM, 2019
great views of the Blyth's reed warbler this morning after 9am in the small patch of brambles near the gate, only took me 6 visits thanks to ray for calling me over on my first arrival. I watched it in that bramble patch for at least 30 minutes feeding & calling, also seen in the fence line east of the gate & finally seen around 4pm in the usual large bramble patch by the gate where I also heard it making a rattling call several times. other birds seen...
black redstart, on big green silo in the sewage works. 1 green sandpiper 1 chiffchaff 2 goldcrest numerous pied wagtails, several meadow pipits, few grey wagtails in the sewage works. 2 oystercatchers 2 buzzards 6 tree sparrows 4 bullfinch
Just to give an accurate representation of its comings and goings. I alone saw the bird on the rather cloudy (but totally calm) day of 6th February. I was not 100% sure until it reappeared (for certain) on the 11th and I was able to see the new photos and video which confirmed it was certainly the bird I saw. It was interesting to see its behaviour today which completely matched that which I had experienced on the 6th (when it disappeared after others had responded to my alert and was trackable by watching for the twitching stems of the reeds). It now ought to be a formality () for anyone yet to see it in the coming days. Good luck.
Andy
Thanks Andy. Perhaps I should have been clearer and said that today was the first day that the bird was on show to a large audience on consecutive days.
Whilst I agree that the odds of seeing the bird are much better now that the weather has improved, I'm not sure that it will be a formality even now. Blyth's reed warblers are notorious for being both extremely showy and highly elusive during the duration of their stay, and it wouldn't surprise me if it disappeared again.
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Feb 14 9:09 PM, 2019
colin davies wrote:
Looking back at the multi-observer sightings since the Blyth's reed warbler was first found, I'm pretty sure that this is the first time that the bird has shown on consecutive days, in fact it's now shown on 3 out of the past 4 days after going missing for the previous 6 days. Interestingly (to me at least!) the black redstart has now also shown for 3 consecutive days after going missing for the previous 8 days. Just shows what a difference some pleasant sunshine can make.
-- Edited by colin davies on Thursday 14th of February 2019 07:44:03 PM
Colin,
Just to give an accurate representation of its comings and goings. I alone saw the bird on the rather cloudy (but totally calm) day of 6th February. I was not 100% sure until it reappeared (for certain) on the 11th and I was able to see the new photos and video which confirmed it was certainly the bird I saw. It was interesting to see its behaviour today which completely matched that which I had experienced on the 6th (when it disappeared after others had responded to my alert and was trackable by watching for the twitching stems of the reeds). It now ought to be a formality () for anyone yet to see it in the coming days. Good luck.
Andy
ray banks said
Thu Feb 14 7:35 PM, 2019
I first located the Blyth's Reed Warbler this morning around 8.40, in the long bramble patch by the gate, where it showed very well feeding along the front edge of the brambles for around 40 minutes, it then flew east into the bramble patch just by the gate, where it showed for around 10 minutes before flying west into the small patch of brambles just the other side of the footpath. After spending a short spell in there, it flew east again and spent most of the rest of the day working the brambles along the fenceline east of the gate
Mark Jarrett said
Thu Feb 14 7:15 PM, 2019
Rob Creek wrote:
Much appreciated Ian. I noticed the bed numbers on the forum site map and then it was relocated 20/30 yds away so was just making sure I wasnt going to be stood in wrong location.
What I meant by that Rob, was that early doors it had been seen near the gate but by the time I arrived it was at the next group of brambles east of the gate. There were about forty pairs of eyes on that particular spot but a guy had wandered twenty odd yards further east who then gave out a shout as he had relocated it It there without anyone else having seen it move. It was basically working all the brambles on that stretch of fence line. Good luck when you visit next.
Rob Creek said
Thu Feb 14 5:47 PM, 2019
Much appreciated Ian. I noticed the bed numbers on the forum site map and then it was relocated 20/30 yds away so was just making sure I wasnt going to be stood in wrong location.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Feb 14 5:07 PM, 2019
Rob Creek wrote:
Hopefully trying again for this at weekend, presumably the Blyths Reed Warbler is in roughly the same location? The reason I ask is because now pit numbers are being mentioned whereas they werent before. From what I can gather its still the brambles around the gate where its always been? Cheers
The numbers of the sludge beds were used on initial directions shortly after the bird's finding as they provided the most accurate pinpointing and access for its location used in conjunction with the site guide map. It does however, remain in the same location as it has been the vast majority of the time.
Rob Creek said
Thu Feb 14 4:57 PM, 2019
Hopefully trying again for this at weekend, presumably the Blyths Reed Warbler is in roughly the same location? The reason I ask is because now pit numbers are being mentioned whereas they werent before. From what I can gather its still the brambles around the gate where its always been? Cheers
colin davies said
Thu Feb 14 4:15 PM, 2019
Looking back at the multi-observer sightings since the Blyth's reed warbler was first found, I'm pretty sure that this is the first time that the bird has shown on consecutive days, in fact it's now shown on 3 out of the past 4 days after going missing for the previous 6 days. Interestingly (to me at least!) the black redstart has now also shown for 3 consecutive days after going missing for the previous 8 days. Just shows what a difference some pleasant sunshine can make.
-- Edited by colin davies on Thursday 14th of February 2019 07:44:03 PM
Hobby hunting at 3:25 this afternoon.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
One Cetti's warbler still singing away yesterday evening.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
You're right to trust your instincts, though
6:00 - 08:00 today:
Mediterranean gull 2 adults flying around calling over the sewage works
Whitethroat 2 singing
Cetti's warbler 2 singing in the usual locations.
A disappointing visit to Hope Carr, my first visit for a week due to work and I thought there might be something new in but no, everything was pretty much as I left it. To make matters worse there was a guy with a riffle wandering around and a couple of other strange characters. I think I'm about done with the place to be honest, I've felt uncomfortable here for a while now and combined with the fact that I just don't get any pleasure out of this type of birding these days I just don't think it's worth it anymore.
8:30 - 10:30 today:
Sand martin 400 mainly feeding over the sewage works
Swallow 10
Goosander 1 male, the first goosander I have seen at the site in over two weeks.
Mediterranean gull 1 calling but not seen.
Oystercatcher 5
Tufted duck 26
Teal 14
Blackcap, chiffchaffs and willow warblers.
-- Edited by colin davies on Sunday 14th of April 2019 08:41:38 PM
8:00 - 10:00 today:
Raven 2
Shelduck 2
Teal 16
Shoveler 2
Gadwall 30
Tufted duck 22
Greylag 2 flew over
Willow warbler 4 singing
Blackcap 10 singing
Chiffchaff 10 singing
Sand martin 40
Oystercatcher 2
Not much changing at the moment!
Two visits today, 8:00 - 9:30 and 13:00 - 14:30 produced:
Raven 2 flew over and briefly landed in the sewage works
Whitethroat 1 singing
Cetti's warbler 1 singing
Sand Martin 70
Swallow 10
Blackcap 10 singing
Chiffchaff 8 singing
Willow warbler 3 singing
Shelduck 2
Yellowhammer 2
8:30 - 10:00 today:
Sand martin 20
Willow warbler 4 singing
Blackcap 10 singing
Chiffchaff 10 singing
Tufted duck 47
Teal 14
Oystercatcher 2
9:30 - 11:30 today:
Willow warbler 1 singing, my first of the year
Green sandpiper 1 on the brook
Cetti's warbler 2 singing
Swallow 10
Sand martin 50
Tufted duck 57
No doubt that there were 2 Cetti's warblers, they were about 200m apart and after hearing the second I went back to the location of the first and it was still there.
-- Edited by colin davies on Monday 8th of April 2019 04:52:32 PM
Two visits today, 8:15-10:15 and again 14:00-16:30 produced the following:
House martin 2
Sand martin 200
Swallow 20
Blackcap 10 singing
Chiffchaff 12 singing
Cetti's warbler 1 singing
Shelduck 2
Tufted duck 39
Teal 10
Gadwall 40
Shoveler 1 male
Peregrine 1 adult
Oystercatcher 5
Greylag goose 2 flew over
Great tit 1 (partially?) melanistic
Black-headed gull 100 including leucistic bird (see photo) on fields between reserve and A580, then later on sewage works.
An early morning visit produced the following:
Little ringed plover 2 flying low around the the site in the area where the Blyth's reed warbler was.
Swallow 1
Sand martin 3
Oystercatcher 5
Blackcap 1 singing male
Peregrine 1 adult
Tufted duck 18
08:00 - 10:30 this morning:
Swallow 1
Sand martin 14
Blackcap 1 singing
Chiffchaff 6 singing
Oystercatcher 2, also seen mating
Todays highlights:
Cettis warbler 1 singing on banks of Glaze brook
Black-headed gull 400+ including leucistic bird
Great tit 1 melanistic bird, see photo
Blackcap 2 singing males
The melanistic great tit has been around for a while, I saw it back in January in the same area as the Blyth's reed warbler.
Highlights from a late afternoon visit:
Common scoter 1 female
Green sandpiper 1
Tufted duck 26 (14 males, 12 females)
Goosander 12 (5 males, 7 red heads)
Gadwall 20
Chiffchaff 6 singing
Oystercatcher 2
10:00 - 11:30 today:
Cetti's warbler 1 singing
Goosander 19 (5 males, 14 red heads) - site record for me
Tufted duck 15
Kingfisher 1
Chiffchaff 6+ singing
13:00 - 15:00 today:
Green sandpiper 1
Goosander 15 (inc. 7 males)
Tufted duck 30 (inc. 22 males)
Kingfisher 1
Peregrine 1 adult
Shelduck 2 (male & female)
Tree sparrow 10
Willow tit 1
This morning, 8:30 - 11:30:
Shelduck 2
Oystercatcher 2
Goosander 9 (4 males, 5 females)
Peregrine 1
Tufted duck 7 (5 males, 2 females)
Chiffchaff at least 3 singing
3 Chiffchaff were together by the perimeter fence brambles this morning and a flock of 8 curlew flew over low north.
Info thanks to Andy Makin
Highlights from this morning:
Mediterranean gull 3 adults. Pair together on filter tanks including the bird (female?) with a ring on its left leg, both with virtually complete hoods. A third bird flew over with a lot more white around its bill.
Shelduck 1 male
Pochard 1 male
Tufted duck 14 (10 males, 4 females)
Goosander 3 (male & 2 females)
Willow tit 2
No sign of the Blyth's reed warbler up to 11:45. There were about 5 birders looking and another 3 arrived just as I left.
Just a quick visit for me today produced a singing Cetti's warbler and drake pochard, along with 11 tufted ducks and three goosander. The Cetti's warbler was well away from the area in which I heard one singing previously on 6th Feb so potentially a different bird I suppose. The pochard was species number 82 for me at the site this year.
Popped in again this afternoon to see if any news for my mate. About 6 birders who had been there since 8am hadn't seen the bird. I decided to walk along the edge of the works to check the small trees and almost immediately found the bird feeding fairly high up in the trees along the banking about 200m along there from the original area.There was also a Chiffchaff in the general area feeding fairly high up as well. Obviously it's food supply has dispersed due to the hot weather and the midges etc were no longer sheltering in the brambles.
Perhaps unlikely to depart just yet Tim, not only as the bird probably thinks it's on its wintering grounds but more, certainly up to a couple of weeks ago, it was still completing its primary moult.
Other birds ......
Sparrowhawk. 1.
Meadow pipit. 5. ( or the same one 5 times on sewerage).
Oystercatcher. 1.
And when the Sparrowhawk appeared the gulls went up as well as over 100 Wagtail sp.
First Chiffchaff of the year and Meadow Pipits passing through were the only birds of slight interest..
- Blyths Reed Warbler (Lifer)
Having only seen the rear end of this bird dive away into brambles, this sighting now counts as my Lifer!
The bird has shown 4 or 5 times this morning, the longest for around 10-15 seconds, slightly obscured at times but did show out in the open briefly in main bramble patch.
It is calling quite often and making the rattle sound too. One thing of note...theres no sun, and its cold with windy spells so out goes the theory that it needs to be sunny and no wind.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 17th of February 2019 06:55:38 PM
Good to speak Rob (and Rob S) - I was there from around noon to 4pm, no sighting of the Blyth's Reed Warbler.
The call/song Rob mentions sounded very 'acro' to me - a quick rattle and a contrasting, rising flutey tone off the back of it, there are definitely similar ones on xeno canto - but no bird showed so just down as a maybe.
No sighting of the Blyths Reed Warbler for me, but whilst stood with Andy we heard a quick burst of song from the brambles that was hard to describe. It was like a flutey rattle with what I can only describe as sounding like a musical scale.
I was there from 11.30ish to just before dusk. No joy with the Blyths Reed Warbler. It was reported just before I arrived but on site that sighting may have been earlier than reported. It was relocated further down the perimeter fence early afternoon but by the time I got there it had gone to ground again. After that it was possibly heard once. There were a fair few people trying to convince themselves that they'd had a tickable view!
-- Edited by Rob Smallwood on Sunday 17th of February 2019 12:58:53 PM
Having been lucky enough to see the Blyth's Reed Warbler a couple of weeks ago I have made a couple of visits now to try and see the Black Redstart. I honestly didn't expect many people to be there today but there were a good 10-15 birders when I arrived at 12 ish. I didn't manage to see the Black redstart (or the warbler) but did get Peregrine and Green Sandpiper as well as catching up with some friends, including a couple from across the Pennines
Highlights from today 9.00 - 14.30
Blyths Reed Warbler
Mediterranean Gull ad sum
Green Sandpiper 1
Oystercatcher 2
Peregrine 1
Goosander m&f
Tufted Duck 16 (11males 5female)
Willow Tit
Tree Sparrow
also yesterday Pochard 1 male
Blyth’s Reed Warbler showing this morning in the usual brambles by the metal fence.
Info thanks to Simon Gough
Obviously my choice of emoji was at fault here, but I don't think they do a 'tongue in cheek' one, do they? My sense of humour is sometimes hard to grasp.
Cheers,
Andy
Good to see Rob Creek and Andy Makin there too, kept me entertained chatting for the hours that I spent trying to get a second look at this bird. All to no avail. Andy and two visiting birders had seperate heard only recordsof the bird today mid afternoon. I'm not sure whether this is what made it onto the pager as reports saying that the bird was very elusive, rather than a confirmed sighting. Still worth the visit with yearticks of Mediterranean Gull and Green Sandpiper, whereas the Blyth's Reed Warbler wouldn't have even been a yeartick!!
It certainly isn't. Good luck.
No birding is ever a formality is it, Ill try again!
Nice to see Andy Makin and Paul Brewster.
A rare day off as Ive got a funeral this afternoon, so I thought Id take advantage of the forecast sun and get there at first light, parking on the main road Greenfold Way near the butty van. A couple of cars were already parked on the road up to the sewage works, and even more when I walked back to the car.
Well despite at least 3 hours there, the Blyths Reed Warbler was a no show up to me leaving at 11.35am.
Other birds of note...
- 1 adult Mediterranean Gull (on filter beds)
- 1 Black Redstart (briefly and distant)
- 1 Green Sandpiper (stood on one of the silos)
- 7 Oystercatcher
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 Song Thrush
- 5 Grey Wagtail
- 4 Meadow Pipit
great views of the Blyth's reed warbler this morning after 9am in the small patch of brambles near the gate, only took me 6 visits
thanks to ray for calling me over on my first arrival. I watched it in that bramble patch for at least 30 minutes feeding & calling, also seen in the fence line east of the gate & finally seen around 4pm in the usual large bramble patch by the gate where I also heard it making a rattling call several times.
other birds seen...
black redstart, on big green silo in the sewage works.
1 green sandpiper
1 chiffchaff
2 goldcrest
numerous pied wagtails, several meadow pipits, few grey wagtails in the sewage works.
2 oystercatchers
2 buzzards
6 tree sparrows
4 bullfinch
Thanks Andy. Perhaps I should have been clearer and said that today was the first day that the bird was on show to a large audience on consecutive days.
Whilst I agree that the odds of seeing the bird are much better now that the weather has improved, I'm not sure that it will be a formality even now. Blyth's reed warblers are notorious for being both extremely showy and highly elusive during the duration of their stay, and it wouldn't surprise me if it disappeared again.
Colin,
Just to give an accurate representation of its comings and goings. I alone saw the bird on the rather cloudy (but totally calm) day of 6th February. I was not 100% sure until it reappeared (for certain) on the 11th and I was able to see the new photos and video which confirmed it was certainly the bird I saw. It was interesting to see its behaviour today which completely matched that which I had experienced on the 6th (when it disappeared after others had responded to my alert and was trackable by watching for the twitching stems of the reeds). It now ought to be a formality (
) for anyone yet to see it in the coming days. Good luck.
Andy
I first located the Blyth's Reed Warbler this morning around 8.40, in the long bramble patch by the gate, where it showed very well feeding along the front edge of the brambles for around 40 minutes, it then flew east into the bramble patch just by the gate, where it showed for around 10 minutes before flying west into the small patch of brambles just the other side of the footpath. After spending a short spell in there, it flew east again and spent most of the rest of the day working the brambles along the fenceline east of the gate
What I meant by that Rob, was that early doors it had been seen near the gate but by the time I arrived it was at the next group of brambles east of the gate. There were about forty pairs of eyes on that particular spot but a guy had wandered twenty odd yards further east who then gave out a shout as he had relocated it It there without anyone else having seen it move. It was basically working all the brambles on that stretch of fence line. Good luck when you visit next.
I noticed the bed numbers on the forum site map and then it was relocated 20/30 yds away so was just making sure I wasnt going to be stood in wrong location.
The numbers of the sludge beds were used on initial directions shortly after the bird's finding as they provided the most accurate pinpointing and access for its location used in conjunction with the site guide map. It does however, remain in the same location as it has been the vast majority of the time.
Cheers
Looking back at the multi-observer sightings since the Blyth's reed warbler was first found, I'm pretty sure that this is the first time that the bird has shown on consecutive days, in fact it's now shown on 3 out of the past 4 days after going missing for the previous 6 days. Interestingly (to me at least!) the black redstart has now also shown for 3 consecutive days after going missing for the previous 8 days. Just shows what a difference some pleasant sunshine can make.
-- Edited by colin davies on Thursday 14th of February 2019 07:44:03 PM