Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

I couldn't make the trip south yesterday when news filtered through of the remarkable Hampshire record of an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler that had been found among the migrants at Farlington Marsh so watched with interest all afternoon and planned a first light assault this morning.
I collected the Jims and set off down the A3. We arrived at Farlington around 6.45am to find the car park almost full and a twitch already formed around the Blackthorn bushes about 100 yards from the gate at the car park. We walked over and hit the jackpot when Matt and George M. put us straight on the bird. We watched it for a couple of hours as it went about feeding trying to built up the fat reserves required for its next move. The bushes were alive with Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat etc but the star bird performed well and gave the opportunity to grab a few images too but as the crowd continued to grow we left the bird to them and moved on in search of another year tick with the Bluethroat at Warsash. This was a bad move at a place we have prior dipping history. As ecpectd the target didn't show but we enjoyed some good supporting migrants here before setting off to Pulborough on the way home. We walked out to Jupps View about a mile from the car park and quickly located the Red-necked Phalarope spinning on the closest pool and then left satisfied with the life and the year tick for the day.

Good to bump into a good few familiar faces including Graham J and the Moretons.

Year list now 284
Life list now 407 and the lifers keep coming this year.

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

The Twitch

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Pulborough