Somewhere in here is probably a dartford warbler...The other week at Minsmere me and the boy saw a dark passerine with a long tail fly between three different gorse bushes along the seafront before hiding in that bush. After circling at it and staring for about 15 minutes we had to give up and walk away from the magical disappearing bird.
The problem is, if it WAS dartford warbler this would be a lifetime first for me, despite spending many an hour looking for the things before. So where you'd be happy to year tick a blue tit etc by it's call alone, or by a glimpse flying in front of you, for a first record this doesn't feel like enough.
We have since looked at the "recent sightings" leaflet given to us at Minsmere, and it included a dartford warbler along the seafront, so this is most likely what we saw. Still doesn't sit comfortably and throws up the question of what contitutes a good enough view to be sure what you've seen. Does anybody have any suggestions what else it could have been?
I think I might put a light mark on this one in pencil, and make it my mission to see a better one before the year's out. Dartford warblers are still annoying in 2010 it seems.
All was not lost though, I got a life first in the form of a very entertaining group of marsh tits. The boy took the photos as I was putting all my effort into carrying the scope and that. As such there is only one identifiable photo in circulation. Enjoy...
