At about 09:30 on May 15th, 1992 whilst in my greenhouse at Fishpool Hill, Brentry, Bristol I suddenly heard a loud burst of unfamiliar song coming from a large bush in the garden next to mine. The song was very varied and contained much mimicry, with sparrow like chirrups and snatches of Reed Warbler song being particularly noticeable. At first the bird remained concealed in the bush but it soon began to move through the garden, darting from one bush or tree to the next, never pausing in the open. These initial fleeting glimpses revealed contrasting pale areas on the wing which momentarily suggested a female Pied Flycatcher or a small female Chaffinch. As the bird neared the end of the garden it settled in apple trees, but now two gardens away. It was clearly a largish warbler. Through 8.40 x binoculars I watched it for a few minutes before it took flight and flew over the garden and disappeared. Later it returned to my garden and I was then able to watch it several times throughout the day and to listen to it a great deal more. By early evening I contacted H. E. Rose who came to try to see it. Unfortunately by this time the warbler was keeping inside an area of dense hedgerow and elms and was not visible from my garden although it was still occasionally singing.

The following description was taken. I identified the bird as an Icterine Warbler having seen and heard this species before at Neusiedl, Austria in June 1984:

Size and shape: Large warbler, approximately the size of a Blackcap or Great tit. No direct comparison made with any species, but Great Tits seen nearby. In profile it showed a high peaked crown when seen singing.

Plumage: Dull olive green upperparts, pale primrose yellow under parts up as far as eye and onto lore’s. No obvious eye-stripe or supercilium. Pale edgings to tertials and pale patch on closed wing formed by edges of flight feathers. So prominent were these two features that the first fleeting glimpses of the bird suggested a female Pied Flycatcher or a small female Chaffinch.

Bare parts: Long stout bill with an orangey base. On one occasion when singing facing into the sun the gape was seen to be bright orange. Prominent dark eye.

Song: Very varied. Consisted of snatches of Reed Warbler, House Sparrow like chirrups, sweet Song Thrush like whistles, and harsher notes like those of Robin and Blackbird alarm call. Also many non-musical squeaky and scratchy weak noises similar to those made by various fledgling song birds. Never sustained for a long time, but there were periods of frequent bursts of probably 5-15 seconds (no actual timings made). Song bursts not consistent, during mid-morning several bursts started off with Reed Warbler like phrases, but by late afternoon it would start with the squeaky fledgling like noises and include no Reed Warbler like phrases.

Habitat: The bird frequented an area made up of the back gardens of six semi-detached houses (approx. 30 metres long) backed by a small orchard, the whole surrounded by grassland. The gardens contained many established shrubs (some very large and dense) and some small/medium sized fruit trees. The bird spent much of the day in one outer garden boundary consisting of a mature hedgerow, mainly of Bramble and small/medium sized elms.

The following day there was no sign of the bird. This bird arrived on the weather pattern of rising pressure over the near continent to the south-east from May 12th, bringing very warm air arriving in 40 knot southerly winds. In Avon a Golden Oriole was noted on 16th, and the county's first Great Reed Warbler on 18th. The national influx of Red-footed Falcons started on the 14^th.

M. Dadds - May 1992.