Regular and long-term followers may remember that this time
last year one of our volunteer bird ringers, Mike Jackson, caught and ringed a
Cetti’s Warbler at Wheldrake Ings. This was the 12th record of the species in
the valley and the 5th individual to be ringed on the reserve.
Amazingly Mike has again come up trumps once again – catching not one but two
Cetti’s Warblers recently, and just days apart (31st October and 3rd
November). Local birder Duncan Bye also heard a probable calling in the
reed bed at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st November. Winter records (late October to March/April) seem to be the
norm and the species has now been annual in the valley during the last five
years, with Wheldrake Ings being a particularly favoured location – accounting
for 11 of the 14 records so far.
Cetti's Warbler - Wheldrake Ings - 31/10/15
Cetti’s Warbler are best described as a
skulking bird that inhabits dense/overgrown vegetation near water, and can
often prove very difficult to see. They usually make their presence known with
loud bursts of song and explosive metallic clanging notes. The first glimpse
will probably be of a dark, rather stocky warbler diving for cover, with short
wings and a full, rounded tail. They are likely to be benefitting from the mild
weather we are experiencing at the moment, so one to look for (or at least
listen out for!) this autumn/winter.
