Tuesday 7th February - The rice fields of Sussex

News at the end of last week was of a Paddyfield Warbler which had been seen at Pagham. A bird which breeds in Eastern Europe and Russia and more usually Winters in India. Although several birds have been recorded in the UK before, not often so in winter and with the freezing weather the birds chances of continuing survival seemed rather reduced, so I organised myself to take Tuesday to have a look for it.
Arriving first thing it was still below 0c and there were already 30 or so birders strung along the North Wall of the harbour looking for the bird. I spent the next 5 hours in a mixture between standing scanning in the more favoured areas and having to wander along the footpath to get some circulation into my feet as it was still freezing,  but without the bird appearing.

There were other birds to be seen.with Bittern, Water Rail, Bearded Tits and Kingfisher all showing over the frozen pools and reed beds, whilst the harbour had large numbers of Brent Geese, Golden Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Grey plover and 2 Avocets. Then at nearly 1pm, after the Sun had been out for an hour, the Paddyfield Warbler was found and in the following 20 minutes showed reasonably well although slightly distantly, but the sun was out which helped the views. For a standard brown accro warbler it was quite varied in its' plumage with  a particularly contrasting darker cap and paler collar and pale wing panels.  I was quite relieved to see it as I was pretty cold by that point and sought refuge in a warm vehicle shortly after !

A Paddyfield Warbler - But one I took at the Armash Fish ponds in Armenia in May 2010.