Western Bonelli's Warbler at Lower Moors

Will Wagstaff found this male Western Bonelli's Warbler in the Standing Stones field, Lowe Moors today.

   This morning I had a Golden Plover at Telegraph and at the golf course there were 2 Whitethroat and 5 Wheatear. Late morning and Will Wagtaff had found a Western Bonelli's Warbler at the Trench Lane end of Lower Moors. I had a quick look mid-afternoon and saw an interesting Chiffchaff with white underparts that had me going until it showed it's head. I didn't see the Bonelli's but heard it a few times. It was not until I returned a few hours later and this time I observed the Western Bonelli's Warbler for a good hour showing well in the hedge that borders the south side of the Standing Stones field. A late  Merlin also flew through.

My first Golden Plover of the year was at Telegraph

On;y 5 Wheatear were on the golf course

This Western Bonelli's Warbler became a lot more vocal singing in the early evening light

A very interesting Chiffchaff  with white underparts and yellow just before and above the supercilium was also feeding in the same hedge as the bonelli's. It also had yellow stains on it's breast.

  Will scored again this time finding a pair of Dotterel on the golf course. As soon as news broke everyone left the bonelli's but I stayed with it for another 30 minutes and then made my ways up to the golf course with Ren. As usual, they showed very well but unfortunly the male had a badly damaged leg. Despite the injury it continued to feed and Ren and I left for Lower Moors where Tim Short joined us. Open the slats of the ISBG hide and only a few meters away in front of us was the female Little Bittern! We were hoping to see the adult Night Heron leave it's roost at Shooters Pool that was seen by Tim two days . It has been identified as the same adult that Bobby 'Dazzler' Dawson found at Porth Hellick by a gap in the right wing. At 21.15, I picked the heron leaving the Shooters Pool, circled Higgo's pool and then flew across towards us and landed on the scrape with the bittern! It was a cracker and showed well in the fading light. Robin arrived and managed to see it just before it disappeared behind the reeds.

The pair of Dotterel, male on the right, at the golf course this evening

The female Little Bittern was out in the open actively catching fish

And just before dark this cracking adult Night Heron that was first sighted at Porth Hellick a few days ago, joined the bittern on the pool. 

This evening sunset from Porthloo

A lesser known band from Portland, Oregon