As you may recall, I've been birding (or 'birdwatching' as it used to be OK to call it!) for over fifty years: in that time there have been a few groups that have always both intrigued and frequently eluded me! One of these is the fascinating Locustella Warblers, named for their grasshopper-like 'reeling'. Over the years I've encountered four species: Grasshopper Warbler, Savi's Warbler, River Warbler and - on a single occasion - Lanceolated Warbler.
I see from the RBA map that a Savi's Warbler and/or a River Warbler have been reported from the Fen this afternoon: I'll be intrigued to hear which - if either - it turns out to be. I've heard lots of the former and two of the latter: to me their calls are totally different, so perhaps the bird(s) have been seen rather than heard.
The following photos include two that I bought back in the days when photographers sold glossy prints at twitches: I think one is by Robin Chittenden: maybe both. Neither have details on the back, so I do apologise if you are the copyright holder: I'll remove if you e-mail me. There's also a crummy drawing I made in my 'field book' as I watched the River Warbler in Cambridgeshire back in 1989!
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| Gropper at SF |
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| Lancie at Stiffkey |
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| Savi's 'Speck Warbler' at SF! |
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| River Warbler at Boughton |
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| ...and again! |
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