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For the record:
There are currently only 2 records for Lincolnshire. An immature trapped at Theddlethorpe on 8th September 1971 and one seen at Saltfleetby on 29th October 1979.
Due to the birds migration patterns it is virtually unheard of in spring in Britain. A bird was recorded at Blagdon Lake, Somerset on 13th May 1963 I believe may be the only record, although I have a nagging feeling there may have been one more somewhere since this bird.
Southern Britain is very much on the western autumn migration route for this species and annual totals have been as high as 83 (in 1976) although numbers recorded are largely affected by the amount of reedbed ringing activity. Records predominate in the south-west of England, and to a lesser extent South Wales and southern England. Records elsewhere, particularly along the east coast northwards are genuinely rare. By the time Aquatic Warbler was dropped from the BBRC list of considered species in 1996, 1125 individuals had been recorded in Britain. However, this species has suffered drastic declines in its breeding areas, becoming very localised and fragmented and is considered vulnerable and of global conservation concern. As a result it has become a very rare bird in the UK, with less than 10 records per year since 2005.
This, therefore, would be an exceptional record, but with migration and rare birds stranger things have happened and one could argue there has been a reasonable supporting cast of East European vagrants found along the east coast and Scotland over the last week. Let's hope the photographs are conclusive.
Matthew
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