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| My first Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus |
On Wednesday I took my new camera out on a twitch. The first proper bird it took a picture of was a
YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER Phylloscopus inornatus which I went to see at Isola della Cona (Italy). On arrival there were no other people around and I almost immediately found the bird feeding on a low willow (
Salix) tree. All around it where tens of other Chiffchaffs
Phylloscopus collybita and some Goldcrests
Regulus regulus all feeding frenetically in the bushes. After about half an hour of very good (and close) views it became more furtive. As a small crowd of people assembled it gave just occasional and brief views. Later the local ringer decided to catch the bird, so we put up the mist nets and after a few hours of tactical waiting the Yellow-browed Warbler finally got caught! Nice to have a tiny creature from Siberia in the hands.
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| Siberian waif in the hand |
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| Checking the ID... |
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| ...and the wing formula |
This was btw the first Yellow-browed Warbler for Isola della Cona nature reserve, so everyone on site was very happy.
Apart from the main target of the twitch I saw an
Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta from the bar and 4 overflying
Swallows Hirundo rustica. I didn't even bother too much to check the area from the main hide. I don't like smelly wetlands full of people anymore.
Other birds of note earlier this week included a
PALLID SWIFT Apus pallidus over my house and a
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor at Škocjanski zatok. Also quite a lot of late-autumn movement in the form of Song Thrushes
Turdus philomelos everywhere, Bramblings
Fringilla montifringilla & Siskins
Carduelis spinus going overhead and so on. A Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra and a few Reed/Marsh Warblers
Acrocephalus scirpaceus/palustris at Škocjanski zatok were the only remaining summer migrants, along with the Swallows.
