A superb bird – with an interesting back story to the find (details below) - and not one that any of us was really expecting, despite the long stream of easterlies in the last few weeks, some originating in Central Asia.
This morning started with the most incredible sunrise. I must have spent a good 10 minutes marvelling at it before deciding on some toast and a coffee before a walk to the coastal scrub near home. My plans for the morning took a huge dog-leg when Sean sent a WhatsApp stating simply “Desert Warbler WND”. Well, no time to waste. Shorts and jumper on and on the road. Sadly the bike wasn’t an option for this one - best to get to these things as soon as humanly possible, enjoy the bird and get out before the crowds arrive.
Parked up near Sean’s and jogged most of the way to the location. Not quite as easy as the run up to the Black Lark in 2008, back when I was a fair bit fitter and still playing football a couple of times a week. A few locals were present and a couple of Norfolk birders who sometimes bird the area at weekends. The bird was in a small well-foliated tree in the middle of the heather scrub and was mostly keeping to the denser parts, making initial views somewhat tricky. However, occasionally it would venture to the outer parts or show better lower down where there were a few more open areas. Due to the small number of people present, it was possible to obtain excellent views through bins, although the strong winds made it even trickier to pick out the bird from among the chaotically moving leaves.
The finding:
The previous day, a local – Stewart Thompson - with a bit of an interest with birds, was walking the north dunes when he photographed a bird that caught his eye. Later that evening, he sent it to Pat Goffin, asking if it could be a Whitethroat. With the help of Sean, the bird was identified as an Asian Desert Warbler and the location ascertained ready for the following morning. Miraculously, Stewart was able to give them great directions and shortly after first light the locals began a search of the area. Even more miraculously, the first bush that was checked yielded the Desert Warbler and the day began to take its shape.
Description
A small dinky Sylvia warbler (now a Curruca though!), reminiscent of Desert Lesser Whitethroat and particularly small looking in flight. Overall, strikingly pallid. A pale, milky tea colour above with a warmer rufous uppertail. The bill was a pale yellow-straw with a darker culmen. The eye ring was white and the iris a pale yellow. The underparts were largely white to off-white, with a duller tinge on the flanks. The alula feather(s) were clearly much darker but were very hard to see. The legs were a striking pale yellow.
The closest birds are on the eastern edge of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Perhaps the prolonged easterly airflow emanating from Central Asia in recent weeks, or perhaps the easterlies of late September helped it on its way?
This is the first record of Desert Warbler in TG42 and is the 363rd species recorded in the square. It is my 327th species seen in the square. This will probably go down as one of my favourite birds since I came here in late 2006. A wonderful sunrise and an amazing bird. There were few other birds around today, so after a coffee and some vegan banana cake (surprisingly tasty), Esther and I went for an invigorating walk on the beach with Rufus.
The day ended on a downturn when I was sternly lectured by a lady I've never seen for inadvertently flushing a Richard's Pipit into a field as I cycled down a rough path, watching the track as I went and not noticing Dave Farrow waving his hands at me to stop until it was too late. We then flushed the two Richard's a few times as we attempted to get views of them. That was fine though.
Great morning!