Friday 19 February 2010

Dusky Warbler still not on the list ........yet!

Wednesday saw me dip Dusky Warbler for the third time. Having dipped the (F)LBJ in Cornwall 2007 and in Norfolk in 2008, this time I managed to dip much closer to home, in Walthamstow, East London. Just half an hour from my work place in Stratford I managed to get out of the orifice early at 3pm with my colleague/mate Pete, a non birder, who fancied coming along for the trip, and who luckily for me drives to work.

30ish minutes later we were parking up on Black Horse Lane and heading along the canal toward the north east corner. It was only at this point that I realised that I would have to undertake some kind of army assault course procedure to get across the canal! Poor old Pete couldn't manage it and opted for sitting in the late afternoon sunshine while I headed over the edge of the reseviour to view into a fenced compound. I was met by the usual, “it was showing well about 2 minutes ago mate, it’s probably doing a circuit and will be back again”. Yeh right.

I spent the next 1.5 hours with my bins glued to my eyes, unlike most of the others who were chatting and generally not looking for the bird at all. About an hour in, I thought I had it. I called it but before anyone with a scope could get on it, it flew 10 metres and buried itself into a bush, and didn’t reappear. I can’t tick that, although I think there is a good chance it was it.

Birdguides has been reporting the bird showing well, each day since so I’ll be heading back first thing tomorrow morning (Sat) with Shaun, who also dipped out earlier on Wednesday, no doubt with many others desperate to add Dusky Warbler to their London list. Watch this space!

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