Radde's Warbler at Southwold campsite

 Well yesterdays "possible Pale-legged leaf Warbler" turned out to be an Arctic after all.

 

I never planned to twitch the leaf Warbler, I've lost the mojo required for the longer journeys during this pandemic but I did need to get out so I set off this morning for the Rustic Bunting at Lowestoft having seen the terrific images posted yesterday. I left late which is unlike me and before I hit Ipswich news came through that the Rustic had flown high and south followed by more positive news of a Booted Warbler showing well at Sizewell A so that became plan B. I parked up and started the walk down at around 9am. Birders coming back were happy and said the bird is showing well so my pace increased a little but on arrival there was no sign of the target. I waited at a distance from the other birders. Chiffchaffs, Tits, Blackcaps and Robins flitted about in the Sycamores and a few Redwings came in off.

The one eyed Garden Warbler

The Sizewell Booted Warbler dip

A male Redstart was present and then a warbler came in and got us all excited. It was a really scruffy looking one eyed thing that we eventually agreed was a Garden Warbler and it turned out all the sightings after 8.15am were this bird and that the Booted had flown off and not returned. A Black Redstart on the walk back added to the day and several Goldcrest were around the car park bushes. 

I made the short trip up the A12 to Southwold and parked up before walking back down to the campsite.

Southwold is one of the nicest places in Suffolk ....no it really is!

I found a Firecrest and a couple of Goldcrests along with a couple of Chiffchaff and Blackcaps before the first sighting of the Radde's. I got on it but it was brief. I managed another brief view and then another before finally after two hours getting a really good view and even a couple of images.

Radde's Warbler at Southwold

Radde's Warbler

Radde's Warbler

A walk through the copse between the 7th Tee and Green on the golf course gave me my first Yellow-browed Warbler of the year too, hope it isn't my last. A difficult day in the rain but I managed to salvage something from it eventually and saw some nice birds.

Year list 260