Having spent the morning in Devon October 5th, I returned home late afternoon, made myself a mug of coffee and settled down to and check my emails. I was most surprised to see an email from Michael Woodman-Smith stating that :

He had spent an hour at Northwick Warth and New Passage at lunch time today. He had paused at the large disused firing bunker looking for migrants in the brambles when a pair of small all dark birds  caught his eye, most probably warblers, with small bodies and wings and long tails which they flicked up when diving into the bushes. The most he got to see of them (several times) were when the birds flew low in a somewhat erratic manner just above the Brambles and then dived into the bushes again. His immediate thought was Dartford Warbler, but wished to be careful with his identification, especially as he had seen no colouration and did not get a view of either bird perched.

I immediately telephoned Dick Reader and to tell him about the sighting. He commented that he had been near the Northwick Warth target mound in the morning in dense fog and had seen nothing unusual. As it was now late in the afternoon I dashed in my car to New Passage and walked to the target mound. I searched thoroughly amongst the Brambles and Hawthorn with no success. The only area I had not looked at was the East side of the target mound, an area that is not viewable from the footpath. I climbed over an old metal gate and after about 30 yards was amazed to first hear a Dartford Warbler call and then see it fly low across an open area from one Bramble bush to another. It was a well marked adult like bird. I immediately telephoned Dick Reader to confirm the sighting. The Dartford Warbler then flew back out and to my right towards the hedge near the Grebe Pond. While I was quickly making some more calls, a second Dartford Warbler, with duller under parts flew out of the Brambles in the same direction as the first bird.

I clambered back over the gate and soon relocated one of the birds in a small row of Hawthorns. It continued to show in the fading light and was seen that evening by Dick Reader, Brian Lancastle and John Martin. The light conditions remained awful the next day and I only managed to capture some very “grainy” images on my camera. During the next few days at least one bird remained with two never on view at the same time. However, on the 8th, I did hear two birds calling at the same time with one bird on my left and the other to the right.

The sightings sometimes occurred further from the original area, ranging 200 yards to the North along the sea wall hedge and 50 yards inland from the sea wall, along the Grebe pond hedge. On one occasion I even flushed one from the ground feeding amongst some Juncus.

The sightings were typical for Dartford Warbler, usually brief as they flew low and fast between cover, occasionally showing well at close range feeding on ripe Blackberries and Sloes. On several occasions, the brighter of the birds was heard to perform some quiet singing from deep cover. The last sighting at Northwick Warth was on October 12th. I and other Severnside birders are indebted to Michael Woodman-Smith for finding these birds and for contacting me so quickly.

Just like buses…….., what was thought to be a different individual, was found a few miles further South at Severn Beach on October 31st and November 1st.

Paul Bowerman - November 2005.