Champions of the Flyway!

Friday, August 31, 2012

Icky Thump


It's still only August, and I've already been lucky enough to find two Icterine Warblers here at Filey this autumn. Neither chose to show off for more than a few seconds, and both - in common with the bird in the late spring - materialised in the same small area of the Top Scrub (actually secondary / successional woodland), all within about 15 metres of each other.


The second bird, which showed up a few days ago on the late morning of the 26th (and was seen again on the 28th), is pictured above and, interestingly, below - a Bowie-esque change in appearance that made us thankful this view wasn't the only one we got.


The first bird (which showed briefly over the course of a few minutes on the afternoon of the 14th, and never again) is pictured below, and without the most obvious features on display, was a far from straightforward i.d.; thanks to various correspondents however (particularly Martin Cade at Portland), other possibilities were ruled out. A promising start to the season, which will hopefully be dominated by easterlies, mist, showers and the prizes that such conditions bring.....