09/06/2020 My First Marsh Warbler!

Tuesday 9 June 2020
Kings Mead, Ware, Bedfordshire

Last Saturday, a marsh warbler was reported at King's Mead on the outskirts of Ware in Bedfordshire.  Since then successive accounts have told of the bird singing well and showing on and off.  When it was seen again early this morning, day 4, I decided to go for it.

• I arrived just before 13.00 and the bird was singing away in its favoured bush 50 metres away; it was not showing however.   
• After 20 minutes or so I got my first, very brief, view as the warbler emerged from the dense centre portion of the bush, before disappearing again.  
• Not long after I got another view, this time much clearer - but once more all too brief.  

I was feeling really confident at this point and couldn't wait to get a good scope view.

• Alas, all went quiet from there on and over the next 2 hours we hardly saw it again and, worst of all - it stopped singing!
• I left just after 16.00 hours and went home.  

• Looking at the news there were no later sightings.

Word has it the best sightings and singing occurred early morning, although the  outstanding event  seems to have been just after a thunderstorm over the weekend, as the sun came out.

courtesy of Stuart Fox and Twitter

• A  disappointing finale to what had been a promising start!  
• Still it's great to hear a marsh warbler singing on English soil and the sightings, albeit short, were very sweet.

24 hours on and I feel much better about my experience.  I must have been one of the last people to see this bird as there have been no further sightings since my visit.

Range and Habitat

Marsh Warbler: Former resident breeder, now rare summer breeder in England. Grounds are likely restricted to south-eastern England near Kent. Arrives at breeding grounds in late spring or early summer. Winters in east Africa. Prefers scrub areas of dense vegetation with tall bushes.

INTERESTING FACTS

• The Marsh Warbler likely has a secure population within Europe, however the UK population has fallen and is of serious conservation concern.
• Vagrants of this species have been recorded as far away from each other as Iceland and Madeira.
• This warbler is an excellent mimic and on average incorporates the songs of 31 European and 45 African species into its repertoire.