25th January 2014

Decided to do another local area this morning as the weather was forecast good for the morning only!! Headed over to Hams Hall & the outflow off Edison Rd which over the years has produced Firecrest good numbers of wintering Chiffchaff & the odd Sibe Chiffchaff! I'd just got under the road bridge & ran up the bank to an area of extensive brambles when a Warbler called which I wasn't familiar with it then called again (almost like a speeded up Pied Wagtail call) I soon caught up with the bird close by & quickly realised it had to be either Yellow Browed Warbler ot Hume's Leaf Warbler within mins I'd put the news out thru various media outlets! The bird continued to show very well but unfortunately the camera was in the car & by this time I was convinced it was a Hume's & was still frantically calling & txting as many people as I could! After nearly an hour the 1st birders turned up! After getting them onto the bird & with the masses now turning up I headed for the car for the camera but typically the bird became more flighty & elusive throughout the day & only a cpl of record shots were obtained! The bird as I suspected was a Hume's Leaf Warbler as confirmed by birders with more experience of them calling but I'd sort of worked that out for myself after having 70+ YBW last year on Shetland & none called like this little beaut!! A 1st for Warks & only the 2nd WMBC record!! Eventually the bird was enjoyed by many & was still present today Sun 26th but typically elusive in poor weather for most of the day..........