From Gropper to Zitter

The day started with a quick look at the two moth traps I ran overnight, A few moths but nothing exceptional, the best being a couple of Large Thorns and a Lunar Underwing.

There were more birds at Bockhill, (click on the name for the full story), and I started by wandering down the Paddock to the bottom hedge. I met Brendan Ryan here who told me he had seen a Grasshopper Warbler in the Hawthorns. I decided to wait and see if it reappeared, as I hadn't caught up with one this year. After a few minutes I caught a glimpse of a warbler sunning itself about 30 yards along the hedge.

As I approached it turned sideways and I though that it would disappear before I got a good look.

In fact it did show properly, but briefly so that the shape and structure of the tail became evident.

Another bird enjoying the sun was this young Blackbird. It seemed to go quite soppy while it was sunbathing, allowing a much closer approach than normal.

About this time the radio crackled with a message from Brendan to inform us that Geoff Burton had phoned to say he had just found a Fan-tailed Warbler (Zitting Cisticola) at Swalecliffe. At first we though he was joking but the sound of him panting as he rushed to his car was convincing. I got a lift from Simon Wary and we arrived shortly after Brendan and got some decent views. The full story should appear on the Swalecliffe page of the KOS website when Geoff finishes celebrating (it's not there yet). A couple of Mike Gould's and one of Marc Heath's are on Surfbirds (you might have to page down to find them).