TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2016
Tony Hukin rang me at about 1130 hours to say
that he had just found a DARTFORD WARBLER whilst searching for Whinchats at
NORTON GREEN. Darrel Bryant had joined him and the two observers were watching
it as they spoke. Now Dartford Warbler is a pretty good bird for Hertfordshire
with only nine previous records, with just 3 since 1984 (a pair at Common Wood
Common, near Chipperfield, on 1st May 1897 - perhaps breeding, a male at
Berkhamsted Common on 27th May & 11th July 1922, a male again there on 27th
March 1927, another on 24th March 1938 & 7th May 1939, a male on 10th
November 1946 & 9th November 1947, a first-winter at Essendon Golf Course on
9th November 2005, joined by an adult male on 12th December 2005, both birds
surviving until 1st January 2006 and a first-winter at Tyttenhanger GP on 11th
February 2006). I happened to be at Blue House Farm EWT at the time of the call
so wasn't able to respond immediately but met up with Mike Ilett later in the
afternoon, where we both enjoyed some excellent views of the bird, as it
repeatedly perched up in the Middle Scrub, about 100 yards south of the
traveller site. The bird was a first-year, Mike managing to get some nice images
of the bird (see below). I stayed on site until 1730 hours, being joined by Phil
Rhodes and Chris Beach and the odd other local birder. Perhaps 19 observers in
total. Darrel's 3 migrant WHINCHAT were still present, as well as a single
Common Whitethroat
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