A recent surge of Ring Ouzels sent me to Ivinghoe Beacon today, with a little help from my parents (as they needed to walk the dog). It began as a little bit of a dull day, with the only signs of bird life being a group of Goldfinch. A walk around the beacon proved to be no more useful, but the news of 2 Yellow-browed Warbler at Amwell spurred on my spirits to try and find a migrant of my own. I continued to scour the bushes for any sign of a "little brown jobs", with no luck. Until I reached the bottom of the hill, an unknown call brightened my senses and I waited for the mystery bird to reveal itself. Shortly thereafter a small almost wren sized bird flew into the air, then dropped into the bushes, before timidly emerging from the undergrowth. The light was perfect and only with a glimpse I was able to see the unmistakable red and grey, making up a Dartford Warbler!!! I dashed for my camera, knowing without a picture it would be impossible to prove such an incredible local bird sighting. It briefly showed again and I was able to get a quick snap of it before it flitted off, and I was unable to relocate it.
Male Dartford Warbler
The next question was how to get the news out there, as those of you who know Ivinghoe will know, it hasn't got the best of mobile receptions. I decided to post the sighting on twitter and hope for the best. However, it wasn't until around 3 o'clock that my phone actually posted it on twitter.
For an exact grid reference of where it was click
here.
