Autumn 2016 has quite possibly been the most astonishing season for forty years in the extent and variety of eastern vagrant birds reaching our shores since the last few days in September. Being an inland site (albeit by the Thames) means that we struggle to draw in such coastal delights but we have still been looking in the hope of digging out a Yellow-browed Warbler, rare shrike or one of these new fangled funny stripy yellow Dunnocks that seem all the rage at the moment.
One species well and truly on the radar was Dusky Warbler and we have even been talking up the most likely spots for one of these far eastern Chiffchaff relatives to turn up in. The entrance, road, river wall bushes, Serin Mound and long Sloe hedge by the Concrete Barges have all been discussed and checked most days and not completely unsurprisingly Shaun Harvey struck Patch Gold yesterday evening when the persistant loud 'tooking' of this skulky little rich brown warbler drew his attention as he walked alongside the aforementioned hedge. It showed on and off for the last hour of light but there was only just enough time for a couple of the locals to get there but David Darrell-Lambert did manage to get a sound recording of it before it went to roost.
I was on site in the thick fog first thing this morning but thankfully we only needed to be able to see the hedge and the bird was immediately heard 'tooking' away before popping up and showing itself very well to the huge crowd of three people!
I stayed for a while and had a few more good views before home and a second breakfast called... I believe that it showed on and off all day and ranged the whole length of the hedge. I hope that it is still there tomorrow! This is only the second for the London recording area and I think only the seventh for Essex as well as obviously being a new species for the site too!
Dusky Warbler - Ricky Blackman
Early doors...
... and a few more people later on but about 500m further along the path! - Ricky Blackman
30-10-16
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer