KC found a very probable BRW in the quarry area to the south of BWCP. The amount of cover is mind blowing and there was no further sightings since Ken watched it for up to 10mins in total constantly moving from hawthorn to the ivy on the sides of the quarry. He got all features to be expected in the field and 'jiz' but no pic unfort. Time of year also very much in favour of BRW. It will be looked for at first light. It didnt really get bright today and light was poor all pm. Ta to Ken for getting news out and giving a few locals chance to search for it. Fingers crossed for the morning.
Alan and I had a SEO in-off the sea at Penmaenmawr on the way. It was high over the east roundabout on the A55 and headed south.
Sounds very similar to an experience I had in Porth Meudwy on 19th October 2005! Brief, frustrating views over 45 minutes of a skulking acro clambouring around in a dense ivy-covered hawthorn.
ReplyDeleteIt was a rather featureless bird, and in some ways it felt similar to the process I go through sometimes when finding a skulking Garden Warbler - bit by bit you realise that you have obtained a description of a relatively nondescript bird!
This was a (greyish) brown Reed sized acro with a v.short primary projection, the very slightest hint of some warmer colouration on rump which was almost concolourous with mantle, no buff tones on underparts, pale throat, no obvious brow like Booted, short off white supercillium barely extending beyond the eye, no contrast or obvious pale tips to primaries in wing, bill longish with pale lower mandible and fairly broadish base... The legs were not seen and call not heard.
Any comments on identification would be welcome.
That evening I studied as I could read online and in all the books and journals I have on Blyth's Reed' and confusion species, leaving me in little doubt what I had seen.
Unfortunately nobody I spoke to was able to make it down to look for the bird next day when I 'enjoyed' similar views over a two hour period, reinforcing my suspicions.
Attempted some digiscoping but ended up with lots of shots of the ivy as the bird dropped out of view ;-(
This bird is on my "ones that got away list"!
Saw the species at Spurn in May 1985 during a classic east coast fall just after it had been extracted from a mist net and remember the massive twitch that ensured - I think this was one of the first available mainland birds. Have vivid memories of hundreds of birders - including some guy in bright yellow waterproofs - chasing this along some hedge!
Good luck to anyone going in the morning - let's hope the bird is photographed and some sound recordings are obtained!