Birders at Wandlebury and the Icterine Warbler

Wandlebury was becoming polular with birders. The arrival of an Incterine Warbler drew a flurry of attention - but was it one? A big debate ensured.

Icterine Warbler. photo Artur Mikołajewski (Wikipedia CC-BY-SA)

Extract of a reading of 'Route and Branch' by Bill Clark. Full podcast available here:

https://archive.org/download/wildlife-and-birders/Ch9c-Wildlife%20and%20birders.mp3

The local RSPB members especially, raised funds and made up work parties to help clear gale damage and plant trees and shrubs. Their blackberry and wild rose plantings to block off some of the miles of unofficial paths, not only raised the numbers of nesting whitethroats and yellowhammers, but as the bare areas behind filled with grasses, nettles and thistles, the number of woodland ground-nesting birds, such as chiffchaffs and willow warblers went up. 

Another important factor was the extra eyes and ears, for although I tried to cover most of the estate each day, with all my other work I could not hope to know all that was happening. It is not surprising that they listed some 80% of the interesting or first of a season’s migrant birds – on occasion almost getting me out of bed to rush off with them! Common Buzzards, Bramblings, Golden Orioles, Great Grey Shrikes, Honey Buzzards, Nutcrackers, Peregrine Falcons, Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts, Ring Ousels, Rock Partridges, Spotted Flycatchers and Wheatears – even my old friend the Osprey passing overhead – to name but a few. If a bird visited Wandlebury, there was a good chance it would be noticed.

Their finest hour – to get them national recognition – was the morning of the 24th of June, when CBC member Dr Rathnell knocked on my door to inform me that an Icterine Warbler was singing near the car park. I was pleased by this, because on the 16th, I had heard strange warbler song: but upon returning with my books and binoculars, I heard it no more. I walked down with the excited Doctor and we stood listening and confirming with our books. The next few days brought a trickle of bird watchers and I thought that I should prepare for a flood! Fortunately Carl pitched in – he was nearly as excited as Dr Rathnell – and warmly met and conversed with the ‘twitchers’, but looked askance at my unusual reticence. I told him of my past problems with the Osprey at Wivenhoe, and that we must have ropes, posts and signs, ready for the worst.

By the 30th, the constant attendance averaged a score from dawn to dusk. Very conveniently the bird spent most of its time in a couple of spindly ash saplings – the only tall trees left on the north side of the car park – all the birders had to do, was park, set up their telescopes and cameras, and watch. Unfortunately there was an argument raging and this was bringing in even more punters: most thought it was an Icterine Warbler, whilst others argued for Melodious Warbler. I suggested it may be a ‘Meloderine Warbler’ – receiving some pitying glances. 

On the 1st of July, Carl and I were waiting in the car park for a school bus, and I remarked, ‘Someone of consequence is about to arrive, see how the twitchers are all looking at every car that turns in the gate.’ Sure enough, minutes later a car drove in and parked among them, causing some cameras to turn towards the car! 

The ‘royal’ personage stepped out, gave a smile and a nod towards all and sundry, lifted his car-boot lid, and proceeded to fit telescope to tripod. I muttered to Carl, ‘Try and find out who he is,’ for by then I was no longer on the twitchers Christmas card list, having forbidden them to enter the woodland to search for a nest. Our bird was pouring out its song almost directly above the great man, as he leaned back in the car and retrieved a camera, hanging it around his neck before straightening up and swinging round. With a broad smile, he called out, ‘Good afternoon everyone, has anyone seen it yet?’ Carl was not at all impressed, especially when he learned the man was the editor of a prestigious bird magazine!

On the 7th of July, Rosemary Jellis, the author of ‘Bird Sounds and Their Meaning’, arrived to play some recordings to the bird – it was still singing non-stop – and she confessed she didn’t recognise the song purely as one or the other. It completely ignored a Marsh Warbler’s song – stopped singing briefly at the sound of a Melodious – but upon hearing the Icterine, dashed down and flew at the loud speaker, before agitatedly hopping from twig to twig around it. After a second playing gave the same results, Rosemary switched off the equipment: ‘That settles it, it’s definitely an Icterine.’ But it was not cut and dried! The ‘experts’ were measuring the tertials, primaries and scapulars on their close-up photos, coming down on the side of Melodious: whilst others compared photos of Icterines, and argued for the wing length, leg colour and wing panel colours. 

Perhaps it was fortunate that the bird left us before there was open war, or the suggestion that it should be captured. Later, when a draft of an article was sent to me by the ‘British Birds’ editor, for my approval – I was amused to read the hypothesis, ‘the possibility that it was a hybrid Icterine x Melodious Warbler, however, might tenuously be suggested.’

The readings continue with the hazards of bees and negligees https://routeandbranch.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-hazards-of-bees-and-negligees.html