Warbler Paradise

Yesterday, I visited the public relations patch as there’d been some interesting birds again. This is due to it being another exciting migrational period. Luckily, I bumped into the local patch expert David Gandy and I’m grateful for the guidance he imparted. The notable bird was an Amur Paradise-Flycatcher. And we got good views, as it sallied through the canopy, hawking insects.

The other migrant, which there were a few of, was the Eastern Crowned Warbler. It’s another new-to-me bird and the thought of Leaf Warblers can be a little intimidating, with their small stature, relatively difficult identification cues and general flitty nature. Today was a good day to identify one as there were multiple and seemed to be the only Warblers on display.

All of these migrants were incredibly active, feeding on all available insect prey, stocking up before they head off further southward. It does make the photography side of things extra challenging. David caught wind of a Cyornis flycatcher and eventually we got very brief views of the female Hainan Blue Flycatcher.

Overall it was a productive visit to the patch and we should be on the look-out of more interesting finds in the coming weeks or months. I must disclose that I’ve been a bit stressed out and in a slight downward trajectory – but I’ve found, when I take some time out and get into the right mind, writing these little blog posts really help me with some structure in my life.

All images © 2022 Sam Hambly

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