Barred Warbler at Wiveton!

BARRED WARBLER

Wiveton, Norfolk

 Found By Steve Beal

 

 

I couldn't resist going over to Wiveton to see an extremely late Barred Warbler. I don't think many people have seen one in December here in the UK! It showed well in the sun and rain, but unusually spent most of its time at the highest point of a tree amongst the ivy! Only once did it flew down towards the Spindle tree with its bright pink berries, which was at eye level and just opposite where I was standing – as it landed in the Spindle, it started to work its way to the front, where it would have been stupendous for photos, but annoyingly a photographer also realising this, darted across in front of us after a several of us told him to stop and that was that! The Barred Warbler retreated to the back of the Spindle and then flew to the favoured ivy covered tree.

Barred Warbler at the back of the Spindle tree

Barred Warbler amongst the ivy, at the highest point of a tree

It was lovely to bump into several familiar faces here including Andy W., Justin L., Mark & Tracey B., James H., Dick F. amongst others. I also saw a male Blackcap fly across the garden of Wiveton house and land in a shrub briefly before disappearing, which was an added bonus. I stuck it out quite a while to try and get better pictures, but after more rain, gave up after a while and headed to the visitor centre for a loo stop and then to Coastguards, where I bumped into Eddie M. and Dick F. again. It was bitterly cold as expected here and the wind whipped my hair across my face – should have put a hat on. I was incredibly lazy and couldn't be bothered to get the scope out and in any case the light was fading now. Several gulls, including one Little Gull, but nothing else of note in the very short time I spent here.