Eastern Subalpine Warbler at LBO 27-04-13

I spent the early morning around the patch hoping that a few things may have stuck from yesterday despite the clear skies and that something else might have dropped in. In all it was very quite but a Firecrest showed very well in the middle section. Another Lesser Whitethroat was new in and the Nightingale looks like its back on territory.
In the afternoon I was able to get over to Landguard for the Eastern Subalpine Warbler. After a bit of chasing from a few photographers it settled down and given time would often approach people totally unfazed. Has to be a contender for bird of the year and it just oozed character.

Firecrest - Thorpeness

Eastern Subalpine Warbler - LBO, A bit of a show off at times.

Gropper

My patch work challenge year has been moving along at a rather pedestrian pace with little over 50 species by the end of March. It has include a patch tick in the form of 3 waxwings, and the "Pig pool" has produced some surprises such as Gadwall, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck and Egyptian goose. April however has increased the year list as would be expected. A lunch time visit today produced the highlight of the year for me a Grasshopper Warbler. Had it have been 6 months from now I think the heart rate would have been somewhat higher. Just as I was nearing the car I flushed a small warbler from the long grass at the side of the path and it flew to a small shrub. Getting on it with the bins I was blessed with jaw dropping close views of a superbly light Grasshopper warbler. It even gave a bit of song as it flicked around low in the scrub. This bird brought the list up to 89 with several glaring omissions still to come. Bring on the rest of Spring.

Rose-coloured Starling at Orford