Sunday 8 May 2016

Western Bonelli's Warbler Gibraltar Point

We planned a trip to Norfolk today to catch up with the Dotterel using Choseley as their favoured stop off again this year but with news of last nights little Alpine visitor to Gibraltar Point we changed plan and headed further north more in hope than expectation to be honest.
Arriving at the point at around 6.30am we headed straight down to the farm where around forty birders were already on site and some had already made the call to leave. We stuck it out for an hour or so then decided on a walk around the reserve and were lucky to be around when news broke that a Bonelli's Warbler had been found at the end of the dunes. We marched with the others present and managed to hear the bird singing from a large Sycamore but viewing it proved more difficult.

The bird moved through the reserve and we managed to find it again and got much better views. Talking to the locals who know much more about Bonell's warblers than me it would appear to be ID'd positively as a male Western Bonelli's by call and I'm told as such is a first for Lincolnshire so congratulations to the finder and thanks for sharing news so quick this morning. My only other experience of this species was a dip down at Church Norton in April 2013 so it's nice to put that to bed.

Following this unexpected success and life tick we reverted to the original plan and headed down to Choseley Drying Barns where we quickly found no less than twenty four Dotterel and enjoyed a few minutes with them before moving on to Titchwell where we bagged a few year ticks with Wood Sandpiper, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Little-ringed Plover and a nice Whinchat on the way back to the car. (Thanks Geoff for the tip off and good to see you again)

Life list now 371
Year list now 232



Green Hairstreak
Dotterel at Choseley
Dotterel
Dotterel in the heat haze

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